Rossini: Quelques riens pour album & Album de Chaumière - Complete works for Piano Vol. 5
7/5/2008, 14 Tracks, 1:08:29
Featuring
Paolo Giacometti
Gioachino Rossini
Did you know?
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Performer Biography
Paolo Giacometti, born in Milan, has lived in the Netherlands since he was one year old and began piano studies at age nine.
Instruments
This album features Paolo Giacometti performing on an Erard piano from 1837, part of the E. Beunk collection.
Composition History
Rossini's return to Paris helped him overcome years of silence, depression, and illness, leading to a period of personal and unconventional compositions.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Rossini titled his late works, written after a long break from composing, 'Péchés de Vieillesse' (Sins of my old age).
Compositional Technique
Some pieces in this collection, like 'Gymnastique d'Ecartement' and 'Petite Valse: L'Huile de Ricin,' are designed to challenge the pianist with awkward runs and slippery hand movements.
Performer Biography
Paolo Giacometti has won several awards, including the first prize at the 1987 Steinway Competition in the Netherlands and a prize at the 1992 Brahms Competition in Hamburg.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Rossini, in his late works, is described as a 'king of understatement' and an 'Oscar Wilde among composers,' focusing on wit and brevity rather than large forms.
