This album features world premiere recordings of Mario Tarenghi's works for two pianos, performed on a 1925 NY Steinway model B and a 1924 Bechstein model B.
Cultural Impact
Mario Tarenghi's Serenata in F minor became famous after choreographer Ted Shawn used it for the ballet Serenade Morisca, performed by a young Martha Graham in 1918.
Critical Reception
A 1910 critic, Victor Felix Dwelshauvers, noted that literature for two pianos was scarce, making any valuable work in this genre, such as Tarenghi's Schumann Variations, doubly welcome.
Compositional Technique
Tarenghi's Preludio e fuga ad imitazione dello stile antico, dedicated to music students, showcases his mastery of German counterpoint combined with romantic lyricism.
Composer Biography
Mario Tarenghi, an Italian composer and pianist, published over 600 compositions for various ensembles, including works for two pianos, and directed the Milan Music School.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Mario Tarenghi's two-piano compositions blend roots in first-generation German piano romanticism, particularly Mendelssohn and Schumann, with elements from other schools like Wagner, enriching the Italian instrumental repertoire.
Performer Biography
Pianist Artur Pizarro's grandmother, Berta da Nóbrega, and her piano-duo partner, Campos Coelho, were among the few performers of Mario Tarenghi's two-piano works, including the Schumann Variations.
You might also enjoy...
Szabolcs Esztényi: The Garden’s Gates for Two Pianos
