Piazzolla
La Calle 92 Piercarlo Sacco violin & viola Andrea Dieci guitar
Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992)
1. La calle 92 2. Psicosis 3. Calambre 4. Milonga en re 5. Imágines 676 6. Suavidad 7. Jeanne y Paul 8. Détresse 9. Made in USA 10. Dernier lamento 11. Fièvre 12. Tango choc 13. Fracanapa 14. Se termino
5’27 2’48 2’54 4’57 3’38 2’37 4’11 4’57 3’36 3’23 2’57 4’06 3’46 2’00
All arrangements by Piercarlo Sacco & Andrea Dieci. Piercarlo Sacco violin & viola Andrea Dieci guitar Violin: “Augsburger”, first half of the 18th century – Strings by Corelli Viola: anonymous maker, France, first half of the 20th century Guitar: José Romanillos 1989 – Strings by Savarez
Total time: 51’25 Recorded: 17 & 18 June 2017, Cappella dell’Immacolata, Collegio Rotondi, Gorla Minore, Italy Sound engineer: Alessandro Scandroglio Artist photo by Paolo Vass Cover: Photo Rodrigo Amorim p & © 2018 Brilliant Classics
THE SCIENCE OF PATHOS When you come to think about it, there is a certain affinity between Astor Piazzolla’s compositions and the writings of Jorge Luis Borges: they are both inclined towards self-quotation. In the case of the musical scores, even pieces that seem to be quite different reveal the same skilled use of manipulation and the subsequent continuity of style and identity. Various elements repeatedly come to the fore during the musical discourse, like a sort of natural process that is destined to go on for ever. Piazzolla’s oeuvre stands out from the amazing trend of 20th century musical negromancy for the way each piece communicates a particular genius loci, while at the same time achieving a sense of universality. The outcome is a special blend, a witting mixture of elements that speaks for the composer’s aesthetic hallmark: on the one hand the construction of beauty, and on the other awareness of the body. His ability in conjugating these two aspects invests his music with what Roland Barthes was to describe as the “effet de réel”, in other words the sensation that the music was inspired by reality before it was written on the stave, which accounts for its extraordinary evocative power. Among the compositions chosen for this recording, for example, there are several references to the composer’s own life: Calle 92 was the street where he lived during the New York years; Imágines 676 is an explicit reference to a club in Buenos Aires located in Calle Tucuman 676, where he used to play with his quintet, alternating with musicians such as Joao Gilberto, Stan Getz, Gato Barbieri, for audiences that often included Anibal Troilo, “el bandoneon mayor de Buonos Aires”. Piazzolla was unique in the way he was able to weave the “sweet noise of life” (the expression comes from a poem by Sandro Penna) into moments of pure melody in his compositions. There is a sort of visual lyricism in these passages that invests his compositional skill with the strength and vitality of his origins as a folk musician, as an artist who was deeply familiar with every secret of the Tango. Piercarlo Sacco and Andrea Dieci are among the very few classical musicians able to bring out the whole truth of Piazzolla’s music, its intrinsic spirit and symbolic implications. Their Café 1930 performances were incredibly vibrant, and they will
now delight widespread audiences with this second recording: La Calle 92, a magical collection of fourteen pieces in which Piazzolla’s art rings out loud and clear through the voice of the guitar in dialogue with the violin; and in Fièvre and Détresse with the viola. What makes Sacco and Dieci’s work so valuable is not only the fact that they have breathed new life into rarely performed works such as Psicosis, Suavidad, Dernier lamento, Tango choc and Made in USA, but also the wealth of masterly arrangements they have made for all the music on these CDs, and indeed the courage involved in such an operation. Piercarlo Sacco’s perspective is expressive, sinuous, almost audacious in his proximity to classical models, and yet at the same time distinct from them. The outcome is the sort of flexibility that embodies creativity: freedom, passion and mimicry blended anew in a shimmering, heartfelt, fluid score. This is true artistic maturity, meticulous sound and virtuoso brilliance. For his part, Andrea Dieci’s approach to the guitar emphasizes and embraces the extremes of the violin in a tessitura that reconciles restlessness with the mobile cadence of the rhythm. His playing perfectly captures what Piazzolla had in mind when composing for the guitar and other instruments, as exemplified by the items from the Histoire du tango. Thus the part is more than just an accompaniment, and is often highly complex. Dieci’s arrangements encourage players to give in to the pulse of the music, to conjure up sounds that are full of vivid colours, to succumb to the melodies that chase after each other in a fever of modulation and variation, swaying from bane to grace, blood to enchantment, frenzy to intimacy. Such is the science of pathos that comes tangibly to the fore in Sacco and Dieci’s interpretation of all the tracks recorded among the naturally vibrant acoustics of the Chapel of the Rotondi College at Gorla Minore, near Varese in northern Italy. Some of these arrangements are based on little more than a musical hint or outline, while others are rooted in music originally written for other instruments: for example, Jeanne y Paul was originally intended as the soundtrack for Last Tango in Paris; Fracanapa, a Venetian Commedia dell’Arte figure, was written for Paula cautiva, a film released in 1963 directed by Fernando Ayala; inspired by a short fugue included
in the Goldberg Variations, Calambre provides the first example of Piazzolla including a fugue in his Tango compositions; Milonga en Re was originally written for violin and piano, and was dedicated to Salvatore Accardo. The CD ends with Se termino, which is probably not as definitive a title as it might appear to be, since Sacco and Dieci still have plenty in store for use. Calle 92 does not end here. © Franco Finocchiaro (Academia Nacional del Tango de Buenos Aires) Translation by Kate Singleton
LA SCIENZA DEL PATHOS Riflettendo sul pensiero musicale di Astor Piazzolla è facile rendersi conto che il comun denominatore delle sue composizioni stabilisce una certa affinità con il procedimento borgesiano dell’autocitazione. Per questo le partiture più eterogenee nutrono la loro identità di una raffinata arte manipolatoria, attraverso cui si percepisce la continuità del suo stile. Un alfabeto di ricorrenze che affiorano nella narrazione musicale, come una sorta di eterno ritorno biologico. Da loro è distillata l’essenza di un’opera che si distingue come unica tra le strepitose negromanzie del ‘900 musicale. In loro risiede il genius loci che l’autore ha saputo comunicare, inserendolo in un quadro formale di respiro universale. La combinazione fortunata si condensa in un’estetica, dove è espresso il riuscito mèlange dei due aspetti etimologici inerenti a questa parola: costruzione del bello ma anche sensazione del corpo. Ed è proprio la riuscita coniugazione di questi aspetti che conferisce alla musica piazzolliana quello che Roland Barthes chiamava “effet du réel”, vale a dire l’impressione di trovarsi di fronte a musiche che prima di essere scritte sul pentagramma, sono ispirate dalla realtà e per ciò in grado di esprimere una formidabile potenza evocativa. Tra le composizioni registrate in questo cd, ad esempio, ci sono alcuni riferimenti diretti alla biografia dell’autore: Calle 92 è la strada in cui Piazzolla risiedeva nei suoi anni newyorkesi; oppure Imágines 676, fa esplicito riferimento ad un club di Buenos Aires sito in Calle Tucuman 676, dove si esibiva con il suo quintetto alternandosi con figure quali Joao Gilberto, Stan Getz, Gato Barbieri, mentre tra gli habitué mancava di rado Anibal Troilo…“el bandoneon mayor de Buenos Aires”. L’unicità di Piazzolla sta proprio nella capacità di declinare questo “dolce rumore della vita” (cantato in un verso di Sandro Penna), attraverso un’inesauribile vena melodica distillata almeno in un passaggio di ogni sua composizione. Melodie per così dire “visive” che iniettano nella sua scrittura accademica la forza vitalistica delle sue origini di musicista popolare, alias profondo conoscitore di tutti i segreti del Tango. Piercarlo Sacco e Andrea Dieci sono tra i pochissimi musicisti di formazione classica a far emergere la verità che abita lo
spirito di Piazzolla e tutto quello che di simbolico ne consegue. Lo abbiamo ascoltato nelle loro vibranti interpretazioni riunite in Café 1930; lo riascoltiamo in questa seconda impresa discografica intitolata La Calle 92: un’incantevole Wunderkammer formata da quattordici episodi in cui l’arte di Piazzolla risuona forte e chiara con la voce della chitarra in dialogo con quella del violino e della viola (quest’ultima solo in Fievre e Détresse). La caratteristica che rende prezioso questo lavoro di Sacco e Dieci, oltre che per il merito di aver riportato alla luce diverse composizioni raramente eseguite (Psicosis, Suavidad, Dernier lamento, Tango choc, Made in USA….) e di aver arrangiato tutto il materiale registrato con magistrale sapienza, è il coraggio interpretativo con cui i musicisti hanno affrontato le loro realizzazioni. Piercarlo Sacco ad esempio, riprende la musica di Piazzolla riflettendola nel suo mondo espressivo e quindi leggendola con il gusto sinuoso, rischioso e trascinante di chi sa corteggiare i modelli filologici ma anche separarsi da loro, in una flessibilità che è la sola fedeltà possibile nel campo della creazione: quella della libertà, della passione, della mimica che crea e ricrea restando in una relazione fluida, elegiaca e cangiante con la partitura. Una prova maiuscola che sintetizza maturità artistica, suono curatissimo e felicità virtuosistica. Dal canto suo, la chitarra di Andrea Dieci contiene e sottolinea le iperboli del violino in una tessitura disegnata per coniugare l’inquieta e mobile cadenza del ritmo. Dieci coglie perfettamente il senso che traspare ogni qual volta Piazzolla ha scritto per la chitarra insieme ad un partner (esempio tra tutti i numeri della Histoire du tango): il contributo di questo strumento non deve essere circoscritto ad semplice, ancor che complesso, ruolo di accompagnamento. Infatti le partiture preparate da Dieci suggeriscono all’interprete di abbandonarsi ad un gesto che palpiti, incarnando il suono fresco di colori luminescenti, per dare luogo ad una sorta di venerazione verso i soggetti melodici che si rincorrono in modulazioni e variazioni, ondeggianti tra il veleno e la grazia, il sangue e l’incanto, il furore e l’intimità. Queste considerazioni sulla scienza del pathos che si manifesta nelle esecuzioni di Sacco e Dieci, valgono per tutte le tracce registrate nel magico riverbero naturale della Cappella del Collegio Rotondi di Gorla Minore (VA). Sia che si tratti
di un arrangiamento costruito a partire da una edizione sintetica che vale poco piÚ di una traccia, sia che sia stata sperimentata una riscrittura partendo da quella conosciuta attraverso un altro organico (ad esempio Jeanne y Paul, mancata colonna sonora di L’ultimo tango a Parigi; Fracanapa scritta per Paula cautiva, un film del 1963 diretto da Fernando Ayala, con un titolo che riprende il nome di una maschera del Carnevale di Venezia, antagonista antiborghese di Pantalone; Calambre ispirato ad una fughetta inserita tra i numeri delle Variazioni Goldberg e primo esperimento di una fuga inserito nel contesto del Tango piazzolliano; Milonga en Re, dedicata a Salvatore Accardo e scritta originariamente per violino e pianoforte). Come alludendo alla discesa di un sipario finale il cd si conclude con il brano intitolato Se termino. Ma intuiamo che Sacco e Dieci abbiano ancora molto da farci ascoltare. La Calle 92 non finisce qui. Š Franco Finocchiaro (Academia Nacional del Tango de Buenos Aires)
Piercarlo Sacco “A distinctive violinist who shows great sensibility for the chamber repertoire” Franca Cella, “Amadeus” “ A musician of international standing. An outstanding talent among the violinists of his generation” Titti Festa, “Il Corriere del Mezzogiorno” “His interpretation of the Berio Sequenza was magnificent” Angelo Foletto, “La Repubblica” He studied with Ivan Krivenski at the Conservatoire in Milan, obtaining his diploma while still very young. Between 1993 and 2001 he took master classes with Salvatore Accardo, with whom he now plays in a number of chamber ensembles. He was awarded the Prix Spécial du Jury at the Y. Menuhin competition, Ville de Paris, 1992, where the jury included Kremer, Spivakov and Zakhar Bron, as well as Menuhin himself. To date, Sacco is the only Italian to have won this prestigious award. For the past twenty years he has performed regularly throughout Europe, America and the Far East. For two consecutive years he obtained the Diploma di Merito at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena. From 2001 to 2004 he played lead violin with the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari under conductors such as Maazel, Pretre, Koopman and Hogwood. He has recorded works as a soloist and as part of chamber ensembles for Sony Classical, Deutsche Grammophon, Brilliant Classics, Dynamic, Hausmusik, RaiTrade, Velut Luna, Cantaloupe Music. His album “Café 1930” in duo with guitarist Andrea Dieci released by Brilliant Classics was nominated “CD of the month” in May 2014 by Brilliant Deutschland, and was in the Top 5 best selling disks that same year. In 2003 his book “Apprendre à jouer du violon” was published by De Vecchi France. He teaches at the Fondazione Piseri (Brugherio) and the Jardin Musical (Lugano)
and the Istituto Giulio Rusconi, as well as holding many master classes (Cagliari 2005, Lakeland-Florida 2007, Pallanza 2009-10, Doues 2011-13, Etroubles 2014-17). He plays solo violin with the Flores del Alma Orquesta Minimal and the Ensemble Sentieri Selvaggi, with which he won the Targa Tenco in 2008. Unflagging in his interest in contemporary music, his repertoire comprises numerous works that were written for him, including Carlo Boccadoro’s “Hot Shot Willie” for violin and chamber ensemble, presented at the Venice Biennale in 2011, Carlo Galante’s “Per Sof’ja Tolstaja”, Giorgio Colombo-Taccani’s “Piazzaforte” for solo violin, and Mauro Montalbetti’s recent “Altre solitudini” for violin solo and ensemble, premiered at the Accademia Santa Cecilia Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome in January 2015. His recent recordings include Carlo Boccadoro’s Concerto for violin and orchestra “Cadillac Moon” with the Orchestra dei Pomeriggi Musicali di Milano conducted by the composer, released by SONY Classical; and the album “Le Sette Stelle”, recorded with Sentieri Selvaggi for the Deutsche Grammophon label. Since 2015 he has been engaged as soloist and leader of the Orchestra da Camera Giulio Rusconi.
Andrea Dieci studied under Paolo Cherici at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatoire in Milan, obtaining his diploma with full marks and a special mention in 1989. He also studied with Oscar Ghiglia in courses run by the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, where he was awarded a Diploma of Merit, and later at the Musikakademie in Basle, where he obtained the Solistendiplom in 1992. He has also taken part in master classes held by Julian Bream. 1st Prize winner at various International Competitions, including those of Gargnano, Lagonegro (20th century guitar music) and “De Bonis” in Cosenza, he was also awarded the Special Prize of the Jury at ARD-Musikwettbewerb 1989 in Munich.
Described as “an impressive guitarist” by the Times Herald and “a true star of the classical guitar by the Corriere della Sera, he has performed in hundreds of concerts at various venues and institutions throughout Europe, the United States, Central and South America, Asia and Africa, including the Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto, the International Festival of the Guitar Foundation of America (GFA) and the International Festival of Singapore. He has also taken part in innumerable Festivals, including those of London, Madrid, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Athens and Istanbul. Many contemporary composers have dedicated works to him. He has taken part in radio and TV broadcasts for RAI in Italy, Radio Vaticana, Radio Nacional Española, BBC, Radio Televisione Svizzera Italiana and Euroradio. He has recorded numerous albums for the MAP, Nuova Era, Bèrben, DotGuitar and Brilliant Classics labels, including recordings devoted to the works of Manuel Maria Ponce, Nicola Jappelli and Astor Piazzolla (in duo with violinist Piercarlo Sacco). Outstanding among these are three unique recordings: the complete works for solo guitar by Toru Takemitsu (MAP, 2004 – winner of the Golden Guitar award for the best CD of the year at the International Guitar Convention in Alessandria), the complete works for solo guitar by Heitor Villa-Lobos (MAP, 2009), and the complete works for solo guitar by Hans Werner Henze (Brilliant Classics, 2016 – Golden Guitar winner for the best recording of the year in 2017 at the International Guitar Convention in Alessandria). His most recent recording is devoted to the Complete Sonatas for guitar by Fernando Sor (Brilliant Classics, 2017). Dieci is also acclaimed as a teacher, holding master classes and seminars for eminent institutions throughout Europe, the USA, Mexico, Brazil, Singapore and Japan. He teaches at the Vecchi-Tonelli Conservatoire in Modena-Carpi, and at the master classes held by the Accademia G. Regondi in Milan.