Gian Francesco Malipiero, though not a pianist, considered the piano his working instrument and expressed a love for its sounds despite disliking acrobatic virtuosity.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Malipiero believed Italian music, exemplified by Domenico Scarlatti, followed a natural law of relationships and contrasts, creating a 'suspended and solid architecture, antisymmetric and proportionate' rather than geometric construction.
Recording & Production
This album features two world premiere recordings: the sixth Minuet from "I minuetti di Ca' Tiepolo" and the three early pieces from 1901-02.
Compositional Technique
In "Risonanze," Malipiero explored the piano's keyboard by slowly overlapping chord resonances and creating constant sound vibrations through rapid, slightly out-of-phase figurations.
Composition History
Malipiero's "Cinque studi per domani" (Five Studies for Tomorrow) were composed in March 1959, with the title reflecting his view of composition as an 'everyday' writing, like entries in a musical diary for a future listener.
Historical Context
The composition of Malipiero's "Armenia" was surrounded by tragedy, as the Armenian genocide occurred between 1915-1916, and Malipiero himself had to flee Asolo due to the defeat of Caporetto in October 1917.
Performer Biography
Aldo Orvieto, the pianist on this album, has recorded over seventy CDs and received the Isang Yun Prize in 2020 for a recording dedicated to the Korean composer.
You might also enjoy...
Stravinsky: The Complete Piano Solos & Transcriptions
The Transcendental Tradition
Stevenson: Piano Music, Vol. 5
Montréal Musica
Alkan: Sonata "Les quatre ages"
Tchaikovsky: The Complete Solo Piano Works
Crawford (Seeger): Piano Works
Bentzon: Piano Works
Barber: Piano Music
Nino Rota: Casanova Suite, 15 Preludes & Other Piano Works
Poulenc: Piano Works Vol. 2
Zemlinsky: Rustic Dances, Op. 1 / Four Fantasies, Op. 9 / A Ray of Light
