A series of six video concerts by Istituto Italiano di Cultura in Mumbai, in collaboration with The Poona Music Society, filmed at the Teatro Sociale di Rovigo (Italy).
On 21st March 2021, the yet unreleased series of six online concerts dedicated to music by Italian composers and performed by Italian musicians on Italian instruments, designed especially for the Indian audience will premiere.
“Io suono italiano” is a project conceived by the Istituto Italiano di Cultura (Italian Cultural Centre) in Mumbai on the occasion of the Festival of Italian culture in India, in collaboration with the Poona Music Society and the Teatro Sociale of Rovigo, realised by the Associazione Mendelssohn.
In an unforeseen year for Italian culture, and that of the world, this series of concerts has been strongly desired by the Italian Cultural Centre in Mumbai to create an experience of sharing, even if only virtual, for the Italian musicians and for the audience from Mumbai and India, born thanks to the collaboration of the distinguished Poona Music Society, and the enthusiastic participation from Associazione Mendelssohn and the Teatro Sociale di Rovigo. Now more than ever, art and music emerge as privileged instruments to allow us to communicate, narrate and share beauty, even here in India, overcoming every geographic and historical barrier.
“The tradition of Italian music has very deep roots,” says Roberto Prosseda, co-creator and artistic curator of the project. “Opera was born in Florence, and the piano was also invented by an Italian, the Paduan Bartolomeo Cristofori. The great tradition of violin making in Cremona — from Amati to Guarneri to Stradivari — is an excellent example of Italian craftsmanship in the construction of musical instruments, demonstrated also by companies like Fazioli, currently along the most appreciated in the world for the production of grand pianos.”
Hence, the series intends to reinforce the strong identity of Italian culture through its musical masterpieces.
“With such a huge humanitarian crisis affecting almost all the billions of humans on the planet,” observes Jehangir Batiwala, Chairman of Concerts at the Poona Music Society, “the priority is always to fight the disease, feed the most vulnerable and bring out of poverty those who are affected. Art and Culture, and particularly Music is often overlooked as a necessity, but it is without doubt, now more than ever before, food for our souls. Like our health workers, scientists and volunteers, Musicians also need nurturing and attention for their invaluable service to all of us who have been enjoying an unprecedented amount of music on the internet. “Io Suono Italiano” brings Sounds of Italy into our homes in India and is a worthy project, as it recognizes the musicians and music from one of the most civilized countries in the world, which was brought to a standstill in the early days of the pandemic.”
“Teatro Sociale di Rovigo is honored to be part of such a prestigious project, bringing to the world one of the most representative performing arts of our Country”, adds Maestro Luigi Puxeddu, artistic director of the Theatre.
In the six concerts that will be streamed on the Vimeo channel of Poona Music Society (https://poonamusic.com/streams/), one can hear repertoire that covers four centuries of music: from Frescobaldi and Vivaldi, to contemporary music by Ennio Morricone, Azio Corghi, and Francesco Filidei; passing naturally through Rossini, Donizetti, Verdi, Paganini, and Puccini. Each programme alternates celebrated music with rare, lesser-known pieces to offer a varied and stimulating musical journey.
The setting of the Teatro Sociale di Rovigo with its magnificent balconies as the backdrop to the artists offers the Indian and international audience the possibility to experience the warmth of a historical Italian theatre.
The high-definition, broadcast quality visuals were curated by the Zeta Group under the direction of Daniele de Plano.
The first concert will air on 21 March 2021 at 6:00 pm (IST), or 1:30 pm (CET), featuring the protagonist Maurizio Baglini, one of the most internationally accomplished Italian pianists today. His programme, titled “Four centuries of Italian keyboard music”, begins with the Sonata in A major by Domenico Paradisi, to then move on to Paganini/Liszt Etudes and to recent compositions by Azio Corghi and Francesco Filidei. Baglini will also perform a brief Laendler composed by Paolo Fazioli, founder Fazioli Pianos.
The series will continue on the 11th of April with the voice recital by celebrated soprano Maria Luigia Borsi, accompanied by Antonio Artese on the piano with Italian arias and songs by Tosti, Leoncavallo, Puccini, Catalani and Brogi.
On the 25th of April, Andrea Oliva, one of the most appreciated flautists of today, will begin his programme with the brilliant Sonata by Donizetti, to be followed by virtuoso pieces by Briccialdi and Morlacchi, inspired by the Italian opera. Italian music of the Twentieth Century will instead be represented by the compositions of Rota and Morricone at the closing of the concert.
We are transported to the Baroque period with the concert on the 9th of May by mezzosoprano Marina De Liso with Roberto Loreggian (harpsichord) and Nicola Dal Maso (violone). The programme, titled “Amando ma non troppo – timeless joy and torments”, will alternate arias by Frescobaldi and Monteverdi with rare ones by Barbara Strozzi, Benedetto Ferrari and Felice Sances.
The piano recital by Roberto Prosseda, streamed on 25th of May, will begin with rare piano pieces by Rossini and Verdi and then move on to music by Rendano, Caetani and Dallapiccola, most of which were filmed here in broadcast quality for the first time.
The series will close on the 13th of June with a second Baroque programme, this time entrusted to the violin of Federico Guglielmo, who will present compositions by Tartini, Vivaldi, and Matteis, with Roberto Loreggian on the harpsichord.