This album aims to showcase a lively, parallel musical life in 19th-century Italy, distinct from the grand opera and concert traditions of figures like Verdi and Rossini.
Historical Context
In 19th-century bourgeois salons, making music together was a popular pastime, involving not only artists but also painters, sculptors, and noblewomen.
Album & Artwork
The album title, "Divertimento Italiano," refers to the music's purpose: intimate, salon-style entertainment rather than virtuosic concert hall performances.
Instruments
The album features a Maurice Kasriel harmonium from around 1905 and a Pleyel piano from around 1860, both historical instruments.
Performer Biography
Carlo Mazzoli, the pianist on this album, is a professor of Piano and Fortepiano at the "G.B. Martini" Conservatory in Bologna and has collaborated with specialists in historical performance practice.
Cultural Impact
Before widespread reproducibility, people would experience popular works like Auber's opera "Le Domino Noir" through live transcriptions performed in their own drawing rooms.
Compositional Technique
The combination of harmonium and piano creates a "divertimento" or conversation between the two instruments, using chiaroscuro effects and re-creating orchestral balances.
