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Saint-SaËns C H A M B E R
M U S I C
Akanè Makita piano SOLOISTS OF THE ACCADEMIA DI SANTA CECILIA ROME
Lightness or Levity? The Fine Line “There is nothing more difficult than talking about music” Saint-Saëns was extremely knowledgeable in a number of disciplines, publishing articles and studies on a range of different subjects. His expertise covered fields such as archaeology, geology, astronomy and botany, as well as philosophy, mathematics and acoustical physics. He would thus seem to have been uniquely well equipped for “talking about music”. Yet as he himself pointed out, music is intrinsically a selfsufficient, universal language, able to communicate intentions and feelings that can elude even the most refined poets. For although it contains its own strict grammar, it is made up of forms and balances whose constraints do not undermine the infinite creativity of composer or performer. When musicians rehearse together to “build up” their idea of a piece, often they do not need to use words as such, but instead rely on a form of musical dialogue that develops spontaneously, in an almost magical parallel dimension. In this way the instruments converse and understand each other so effectively that the individual performers seem to dissolve, becoming part of the instruments that breathe new life into the work of art, thereby freeing it from the confines of the printed page. When this happens, the work in question is invested with life of its own, and no further explanation is required. All the listener has to do is open his or her heart to the energy of sound, without requiring or heeding logical discourse. No process of rationalization will thus interfere with the complete, instinctive understanding of the musical language. Described by Wagner as “the greatest musical mind” of his times, Saint-Saëns was certainly a man of encyclopaedic culture. Yet what interested him most in music was its immediacy, the way the direct impact of music could transcend rational thought. This helps explain why a man of such exceptional intellectual gifts, accustomed to indepth analysis in so many fields, should have avoided in his own work compositions that were deliberately complex and difficult, creating a challenging ordeal for 2
performers and listeners alike. Instead he made a universal name for himself as the composer of “Le Carnaval des animaux” (1886), a work that is delightfully fresh, light and fluid in idiom. For such were the hallmarks of Saint-Saëns as a composer. Take the Romance for flute Op.37 “Le Cygne” (1871), for instance: the flute part is exquisitely melodious, with a constant development of mood rendered by the increasingly wide-ranging and complex discourse developed on the piano. Another case in point is the “Caprice sur des airs danois et russes” Op.79, composed in 1887 and dedicated to the Empress Maria Feodorovna (née Princess Dagmar of Denmark), wife of Alexander III of Russia. The composition was occasioned by a series of concerts organized by the Russian Red Cross, with the composer himself playing the piano, P. Taffanel on the flute, G. Gillet on the oboe and C. Turban on the clarinet. Here again the buoyant, pleasantly fluid nature of the work is immediately recognizable, especially in the brilliant, impetuous piano passages. Little wonder that Saint-Saëns was considered such a master of the piano, an enfant prodige whose playing first met with enthusiastic acclaim on the part of select circles in Paris, and later spread to concert audiences throughout Europe and beyond. He was a consummate virtuoso player, endowed with great imagination and extraordinary skill in improvisation, developing an idiom that gave rise to the torrent of fourths and sixths of this piece, with its skilful use of heady arpeggios and scales. Saint-Saëns’s admirable skill in developing subjects may help explain why in the past he has been described as “the most German of all the French composers”. In actual fact this ability relates to his talent as an improviser, a gift that in terms of cerebral function relies more on instinct than on logical thought, which instead accounts for the meticulous construction of form, and indeed adherence to the classical tradition. The Romance for horn Op.67 (1885) is another work made up of well-defined sections that give rise to images ranging from the sweetly nostalgic to the turbulent or heroic. It is a narrative piece that ranges from whisper to declamation, ending with a coda that conjures up imaginary creatures in a dream-like atmosphere. In both instruments the composer uses different registers and variety of timbre to play 3
on the intrinsic contrast of sound, thereby evoking a range of characters and changes of scene. Similar gifts went into the making of what is considered to be Saint-Saëns’s most emblematic work, the opera “Samson et Delila”, composed in 1876. The composer’s manifest faith in early traditions meant that he was certainly not going to neglect the sonata form, even though he did not write any sonatas for piano solo. It was a form that clearly suited him, as testified by the two sonatas for violin and piano and the two for cello and piano, all of which had features in common with coeval works by other composers. With the Sonatas for Oboe Op.166 (1921), for Clarinet Op.167 (1921) and for Bassoon Op.168 (1921), on the other hand, something unexpected happens. Written one after another in the space of one year, they speak for a composer who was born 10 years after the death of Beethoven and whose lifetime overlapped with the dawn of jazz in Europe. Little wonder, then, that such pieces embody remarkable synthesis, to the extent that they hardly seem to be by the same composer as the sonatas for strings, the piano trios and quartets, and indeed the concertos and virtuoso works for violin and piano. Gone are the cascades of sounds that evoke the perpetuum mobile, or the endless development of subjects that follow one after the other amid myriad ingenious embellishments; and much reduced is the sonata form, with the first subject that turns into the second subject within the space of a few seconds. This is precisely what happens in the oboe and bassoon sonatas, where the modulations are resolved in next to no time. In earlier years a similar development would have required several bars, as though the composer felt he needed to explain the various steps taken to a student of composition. Instead form is present in essential terms, pared of all that is superfluous so that the player feels distinctly exposed in his or her handling of what gives the illusion of being so simple. And of course it is an illusion, since each individual note is invested with a specific weight that cannot hide behind the subtly transparent piano part. Each of the three reed instruments thus ultimately prevails in an entire sonata form. Given the fact that neither the oboe nor the bassoon had ever previously held sway in that most noble and complete of musical forms, this in itself is worthy of note. Yet these works are not 4
just a fine homage to the oboe and the bassoon; they also constitute a real challenge for the instrumentalists. In Saint-Saëns’s day players would have found themselves addressing real technical and musical innovations, and even today’s listeners are unlikely to be aware of the enormous mastery of the oboe that is required to produce the nuances of timbre found in these pages. No earlier composer had ever dreamt of introducing a high E into a bassoon score, yet this is the very note that concludes the second movement. So although this collection comprises just a small part of the oeuvre of a composer who addressed practically every imaginable form of instrumental and vocal music, it does nevertheless provide an overall view in miniature of the main features of his stylistic evolution. The figure of Saint-Saëns has always straddled two different spheres: that of famous composers, and the universe of lesser-known musicians familiar only to enthusiasts. He did not achieve Beethoven’s consummate cosmic abstraction or Brahms’s depth of introspection, and clearly cannot claim a place among the greatest composers in music history. Yet during the course of his long life Saint-Saëns consistently pursued and developed his own idea of music. This is based on instinct and lightness, which are far from secondary qualities in an art that flows through time and space. It is thus up to us, his interpreters, to vibrate in sympathy with his refined simplicity: no easy task, but one that allows his works to renew the expression of their true nature, their irresistibly elegant lightness. © Akanè Makita
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Andrea Oliva plays first flute in the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di S. Cecilia in Rome Winner of over a dozen international competitions, including First Prize at the Kobe Competition in Japan (2005), he is engaged not only as a soloist and member of chamber ensembles but also as a teacher, holding courses in advanced flute at S. Cecilia in Rome, at the Accademia internazionale in Imola, and at the Accademia dell’Orchestra Mozart in Bologna. Since 2014 he has taught the flute at the Italian Swiss Conservatoire in Lugano. While still very young he was a member of GMJO (Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester) and of the Karajan Akademie Berlin. At the age of just 23 he was invited to play First Guest Flute with the Berliner Philharmoniker under the baton of C. Abbado, L. Maazel, V. Gerghiev, S. Oramo, M. Jansons and B. Haitink. He has played as a soloist with the Orchestra di S. Cecilia conducted by C. Hogwood, M.W. Chung, A. Pappano (C. Nielsen Concerto broadcast by RAI 3) and M. Honeck (national premiere performance of M.A. Dalbavie’s Flute Concerto). Together with guitarist Costanza Savarese he founded GlobeDuo (www.globeduo.com) to focus on new repertoire and an innovative approach to the two instruments playing ensemble. He has recorded for many different labels: Le chant de Linos, the magazine ‘Amadeus’, Wide Classique (Globe, C. Savarese guitar), Hyperion (J.S. Bach Flute Sonatas, H. Hewitt Piano), Brilliant (Duttileux Chamber Music with Piano (94783)). www.andreaoliva.com www.globeduo.com Francesco Bossone has played First Solo Bassoon with the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia since 1985. On Claudio Abbado’s invitation he also played with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra and with the Orchestra Mozart, as well as with the Human Rights Orchestra, the Orchestra Filarmonica della 6
Scala, and the Orchestra da Camera di Mantova. He has also performed with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, and worked with Lorin Maazel and the Symphonica Toscanini. He studied at the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia in Rome, obtaining his Diploma with full marks at an early age under the aegis of Marco Costantini. Following this he won many national and international competitions and awards, including invitations to play with I Pomeriggi Musicali in Milan, the Orchestra Regionale Toscana, the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Today his engagements include concerts throughout the world, both as a soloist and as a member of acclaimed ensembles. In 1990 he took part in the concert organized by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra at the Carnegie Hall in memory of Leonard Bernstein. He played Haydn’s Sinfonia Concertante at Santa Cecilia in Rome, conducted by Carlo Maria Giulini as part of the great conductor’s 80th birthday celebrations. Invited by Daniele Gatti to play First Solo Bassoon with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London, from 1996 to 1998 he took part in numerous concerts and recordings at the Royal Albert Hall, the Barbican Centre and at the BBC Proms. In February 2004 he performed as soloist in Carlo Maria von Weber’s Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra Op.75 as part of the Symphonic Season 2003/2004 of the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia conducted by Myung-Whun Chung. With the Orchestra da Camera di Mantova he has played numerous solo concertos, including Mozart’s Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra K 191 and the Sinfonia Concertante, Wolf-Ferrari’s Suite Concertino for Bassoon and Orchestra, and Haydn’s Sinfonia Concertante. In 2004 he took part in the K Festival organized by the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, playing Mozart’s Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra K 191 conducted by Thomas Netopil. His vast repertoire for bassoon solo and orchestra includes the concertos by J. C. Bach, Boismortier, Danzi, Françaix, Jolivet, Kozeluh, Hummel, W. A. Mozart, Muthel, Rossini, Rolla, Stamitz, Vivaldi, J. C. Vogel, Carl Maria von Weber etc. 7
He has worked with conductors of international acclaim such as Antonio Pappano, Michele Campanella, Myung-Whun Chung, Uto Ughi, Salvatore Accardo, Franco Petracchi, Massimo Quarta, Alessandro Carbonare, Antony Pay, Giuliano Carmignola, Andrea Lucchesini, Alessio Allegrini, Alexander Lonquich, Enrico Dindo, Heinz Holliger, Leonidas Kavakos, Isabelle Faust, Raphael Christ, Sabine Meyer, Jacques Zoon, Alois Posch, Reinhold Friedric, Wolfram Christ. His teaching engagements include numerous courses and master classes. From 1997 to 2000 he taught the Wind Instruments section at the Corso di Formazione dell’Orchestra Giovanile dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome. He also teaches the Annual Course for Bassoon Specialization at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia, and is Professor of Bassoon at the L. Pergolesi Conservatoire in Campobasso. www.francescobossone.it Stefano Novelli, clarinettist, was born in Rome, and studied with his father before going on to attend the Santa Cecilia Conservatoire in Rome, where he achieved his Diploma with full marks at the age of seventeen under the guidance of Vincenzo Mariozzi. He initially specialized in the contemporary repertoire, recording for various labels, including Edipan and RCA. How he soon expanded his interests to include all musical genres, playing in various orchestras and ensembles under the baton of conductors of the calibre of M. Campanella, A. Lonquich B .Canino, M.W. Chung, H.J. Schellemberger etc. At a very young age he joined the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, where since 1992 he has played First Solo Clarinet with many famous conductors, including Giulini, Sawallish, Pretre, Gatti, Chung. He has also held the same position with other important orchestras (RAI, Teatro dell’Opera, etc). He teaches courses and master classes for various associations, working regularly with different conservatoires. 8
Francesco Di Rosa plays Solo Oboe with the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, a post he has held since 2008. From 1994 to 2008 he played Solo Oboe with the Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala in Milan, under the baton of Riccardo Muti and Daniel Barenboim. On Claudio Abbado’s invitation he has also worked closely with the Orchestra Mozart. As a soloist he has performed in many important concert venues, including the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Musikhalle in Hamburg, Musikverein in Vienna, Carnegie Hall in New York, Tonhalle in Zurich, Zipper Hall in Los Angeles, Teatro Roldan in Havana, Teatro Coliseo in Buenos Aires, Bunka Kaikan in Tokyo and the Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome. He has recorded for the following labels: Musicom, Emi, Thymallus, Bongiovanni, Preiser Records, Real Sound, Tactus, Dad Records e Aulia. His teaching engagements include master classes in America, Japan, Spain, Germany and Italy’s foremost Conservatoires. He was Vice President of the Filarmonica della Scala, and is currently Artistic Director of the “Amici della Musica di Montegranaro”. He is a founding member of Musicians for Human Rights. He plays a Buffet “Orfeo” Green Line oboe. www.francescodirosa.com Alessio Allegrini is President of the Musicians for Human Rights movement and Artistic Director of the Human Rights Orchestra. The movement is engaged in supporting the culture of Human Rights through music, and under Allegrini’s baton the orchestra has performed for three years running in the prestigious KKL hall in Lucerne, Switzerland, with soloists of the calibre of Maria Joao Pires, Hélène Grimaud, Laurie Rubin and Isabelle Faust. Allegrini made his debut as a conductor ten years ago at 9
the Symphony Hall in Osaka. A somewhat unusual concert featuring an orchestra consisting of 100 women and a group of 87 French horn players, the event aroused great curiosity and was much appreciated by the audience. Last March Allegrini made his debut at the Teatro Lirico in Cagliari conducting Wagner and Brahms, to considerable critical and public acclaim. First Solo Horn with the Orchestra Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra and the Orchestra Mozart, at the age of 23 Allegrini was selected by Riccardo Muti as First Solo Horn at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan. He has also made guest appearances with the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Bayerischer Rundfunk Orchester, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic. Winner of the Prague Spring Competition and A.R.D. in Munich, in 2006 he was awarded the Premio Nazionale la Casa delle Arti by Don Mazzi’s Fondazione Exodus for the way he manages to reconcile his professional career with social engagement. Allegrini recently performed in the European premiere of Eliott Carter’s Horn Concerto, and in the world premiere in Berlin of Riccardo Panfili’s Out for horn, string orchestra and percussion, a work that was written for him and met with enormous success. In 3 CDs released by Deutsche Grammophon he has recorded the Mozart horn concertos, the Sinfonia Concertante and the Brandenburg Concertos, with the Orchestra Mozart conducted by Claudio Abbado. As a conductor, for the Amadeus label he has recorded the Strauss and the Lebrun oboe concertos at the Teatro Le Muse in Ancona, as part of the programme celebrating the first 10 years of activity of the Fondazione Orchestra Filarmonica Marchigiana (FORM). Allegrini will be back with this orchestra again in 2015, conducting a program of music by Wagner, Strauss and Beethoven. Allegrini has taken part as a testimonial in two films by Failoni and Merini: “Travelling with Claudio Abbado between Caracas and Havana” and “The Orchestra”, dedicated to Claudio Abbado and his Orchestra Mozart. 10
Akanè Makita, pianist, was born in Japan. In 2003 she won the “Claudio Arrau International Piano Competition” in Chile, during the centenary celebrations of the great Chilean pianist. Since then her career as a concert pianist has taken her to numerous different countries, including France, Holland, Canada, Japan, Iran and Poland, as well as Italy, where she has played in venues such as the Teatro Alfieri in Turin, the Sala Scarlatti in Naples, the Teatro Piccinni in Bari, the Teatro Municpale in Piacenza, the Conservatoire in Prato, the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna and the Parco della Musica in Rome, meeting with widespread critical and public acclaim. An extremely versatile musician, alongside her engagements as a soloist she also performs in many chamber music concerts, working with leading musicians and groups such as the Solisti dell’Accademia di S. Cecilia. In 2006 she was appointed Cavaliere del Lavoro Giovanile. Since 2009 she has been piano assistant at the Corsi di Alto Perfezionamento at the Accademia Nazionale di S. Cecilia. She has made recordings for TV and radio, both for RAI and other broadcasting channels. Her recording of G. Martucci’s complete works for cello and piano was released by the Naxos label. For Brilliant, with the Accademia di S. Cecilia soloists she has also recorded works for wind and piano and the Piano Sonata by H. Dutilleux, described by A. Foletto in La Repubblica as “brilliant”, and by R. Risaliti “as one of the best recordings of his works”. A special thanks to Ancelle della Carità, Rome Akanè Makita plays on a Yamaha CFX Concert Grand Piano, prepared by Valerio Sabatini, supplied by Studio 12 Pianoforti, Rome. Recording: May 2014, Studio I Musicanti, Rome, Italy Sound Engineer and Producer: Giovanni Caruso Musical Supervision: Giovanni Caruso Editing: Andrea Caruso Mastering: Giovanni Caruso, Andrea Caruso p & © 2015 Brilliant Classics
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