WOLFFERRARI THE TWO PIANO TRIOS Trio Archè
ERMANNO WOLF-FERRARI 1876-1948 The Two Piano Trios Piano Trio No.1 Op.5 in D Major 1. Allegro molto moderato 2. Presto - Vivace - Meno mosso - Vivace - Presto 3. Larghetto (grazioso, molto tranquillo) Poco mosso - Più mosso (vivace)-Larghetto 4. Allegro vivace assai - Andante mosso Tempo I - Andante Sostenuto - Tempo I Piano Trio No.2 Op.7 in F sharp Major 5. Sostenuto - Adagio - Agitato - Sostenuto - Agitato 6. Largo 7. Lievemente mosso e tranquillo sempre
14’54 5’50 9’22 9’40
19’27 6’30 4’27
Trio Archè Francesco Comisso violin (violin Don Nicolau Amati, Bologna 1735) Dario Destefano cello (cello Giacinto Santagiuliana, Vicenza 1821) Francesco Cipolletta piano
Recording: at Bartok Studio, Bernareggio - MB Sound Engeneriing Raffaele Cacciola Photos by Lorena Pellegrino Cover: Teodoro Wolf-Ferrari, Salici sul lago, 1915, Padova, Galleria nuova Arcadia - Vita Trentina Editrice p & © 2018 Brilliant Classics
Prelude To Neglected Originality Dotted throughout the history of western music are a various figures who seem to elude all efforts to classify them, as though they occupied an atemporal plane, equidistant from revolutionary intent and the established genres to which the prefix “neo” is often added. Certain of these musicians not only shun overt membership of contemporary categories, but also tend to steer clear of any one creative idiom. Such was the case of Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari (Venice, 1876-1948), a composer who deliberately avoided modernism, opting instead for linear communicative immediacy in a range of different genres that he wove together in a highly individual tapestry of language and sound. Open-minded in his approach to the past, he was reserved in character and totally averse to innovation as a goal in its own right, despite the surrounding ethos of competition in Europe and the drive to be ‘original’. As Adriana Guarnieri Corazzol has pointed out, “Wolf-Ferrari’s fellow composers were Malipiero, Casella, Pizzetti, Alfano and Respighi, yet he remained totally aloof from the so-called Eighties generation, pursuing his own belief in a form of humanism devoid of the constrictions of linear time...”. Instead of breaking radically with the past, he strove to reconcile it with the present, amalgamating a wide range of bygone experience in an all-encompassing lyrical vein. The age of Hermann Friedrich Wolf was marked by nationalism and conflict, which went against the grain of his own family origins. The son of the Bavarian painter August Wolf and the Venetian aristocrat Emilia Ferrari, he used both names in his signature, thereby declaring his roots in two different cultures. As with Ferruccio Busoni, who was also both German and Italian, the double Weltanschauung pervaded his artistic personality. German discipline blended harmoniously with a temperament that was more Venetian than simply Italian. This is particularly evident in the operas he wrote based on comedies by Carlo Goldoni and in other works, including his last, unfinished orchestral composition, Chiese di Venezia. Although he was born in Venice, for his musical studies he chose the Akademie der Tonkunst in Munich directed by Joseph von Rehinberger, a follower of Mendelssohn.
Likewise most of his compositions were printed in Germany, where his operas soon acquired a following. In Italy, on the other hand, he was largely ignored right through to the 1920s. Wolf-Ferrari was also involved in teaching, here again on two different fronts. He directed what was then the Liceo Musicale Benedetto Marcello in Venice, and also taught composition at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, a dual situation that encouraged him to reside for part of the year in Venice and the rest near Munich. Between 1915 and 1922, however, both he and Busoni opted for exile in Zurich. They were traumatic years of creative silence. As the composer himself explained, “I live in Switzerland because in this wretched war I have found no fatherland anywhere. I am essentially neutral, not out of indifference, but on account of my conflicting tides of love.” In his essay Considerazioni attuali sulla musica (Ticci, Siena 1943) the composer expressed his views on coeval trends in dodecaphonic and atonal music in somewhat polemical terms: “There are ‘artists’ who, instead of revealing their souls through their music, act like cuttlefish that hide behind the black ink they squirt out, just as the former hide behind the opaque fog of their sounds”. But then early 20th century musical dissent was not likely to appeal to someone who tended towards interiority, a sort of ‘music of the spheres’ whose audibility is insubstantial: “What a pity that to reach the soul music should have to engage the ears!” Wolf-Ferrari focused on instrumental music at the beginning and towards the end of a career that was otherwise largely devoted to opera. The two Trios for violin, cello and piano are early works, written at the time he was studying in Munich, or shortly afterwards. The first Trio in D major dates back to 1896, was premiered at the Tonkünstlerverein in Stuttgart in September of that same year and published as Op.5 in 1902 by Leuckart in Leipzig. Divided into four carefully balanced movements, it begins with a subject that the composer, clearly influenced by his recent studies under Rheinberger, developed in sonata-like form and in passages in counterpoint. The theme then returns unexpectedly in the Finale. The mood that prevails in the opening Allegro molto
moderato is gentle and slightly melancholy, with a cradling motif suggesting the rueful smile that was to become a feature of Wolf-Ferrari’s music. The handling of melody also reveals echoes of Brahms, but without the latter’s depth and complexity; likewise the wealth of harmony and the autumnal shades of the instrumental parts. The Presto that follows is more light-hearted, with a touch of gypsy hues that are cut short by the central episode and the ensuing return to the light, dream-like mood typical of the composer’s later works. Next comes a Larghetto featuring serried dialogue between the two string instruments that gives way to a pensive, melodious vein like a suspended romanza above an ecstatic piano accompaniment. The joyful, dance-like central episode (Poco mosso) momentarily mitigates the plaintive atmosphere with ribbons of sound that introduce a touch of nostalgia in the handling of contrast. The Trio ends with an attractively carefree Allegro vivace assai in which lyricism and elegance culminate in the return of the main theme of the opening Allegro. In form and articulation the movements are typical of the 19th century, yet they are free of the naivety that is often a feature of early works. That said, however, they do embody a certain innocence, a degree of gentleness, a sort of aristocratic levity. Antonio Guarnieri described these traits as aspects of the composer’s goodness, which would seem to fit in with what Wolf-Ferrari himself once said: “A true work of art is the fruit of love, if love is the desire to transcend the individual ego and to flow into the great, all-embracing spectrum...”. The second Trio Op.7 is unquestionably a different sort of work, born of a contrasting intent. Although we do not know for sure where and when it was first performed, it was certainly published by Rahter in Leipzig in 1901, and may well have actually been composed, at least in part, before the Op.5. The three movements are distinctly asymmetric in length, with the first consisting of 337 dense bars lasting twice as long as the sum of the other two. Moreover, the idiom of the opening Sostenuto differs considerably from the following parts, with a prevalence of intense dynamic and rhythmic contrasts interwoven with some bitter chromatism. There are also chords that smack of expressionism, while the piano pursues some rough
descending passages in double octaves. Wolf-Ferrari’s characteristic gentleness only surfaces here and there, interspersed with vehement outbursts, moments of anxious instability, and a sense of fraught tension. It is tempting to suggest that Wolf-Ferrari may have unwittingly absorbed something from his contemporary Max Reger, who in 1902 paid him a significant compliment: “You possess something that none of us possesses: simplicity”. At all events, the movement is unique for Wolf-Ferrari. It is followed by two further sections that are quieter and more reassuring in the way they return to “the models and canons of the Mendelssohn-Schumann-Brahms axis”, to borrow the words of Alberto Cantù, with certain “elements in the classical vein”. In all likelihood the Sostenuto was written earlier, while the two shorter movements come across as more mature works. What is interesting about these Trios is the way they reveal the various stages of development of a highly original musical mind. As Giulio Cogni has pointed out, the salient features are “elegant parsimony” and a candid “gracefulness of sound”. Early works they certainly are, yet they are far from immature. Instead they reveal the artist’s character, his distinctive voice as a composer. It is curious that a musician whose operas enjoyed such lasting success should have practically disappeared from today’s concert and opera programs. Alberto Batisti rightly suggests that this neglect is a sign of the times: “Since the post-war period, grace and gentleness seem irrelevant categories”. And this explains why the self-effacing Wolf-Ferrari “has been relegated to a corner of a History of Music written with the ink of ideology rather than artistic veracity”. This courageous CD should help right an evident wrong, healing “a wound that is offensive to Italian musical culture”. © Umberto Berti Translation by Kate Singleton
Founded in Turin in 2001 by three acclaimed soloists, from the outset the Trio Archè was involved in the international concert circuit. Dario Destefano and Francesco Cipolletta initially got together with violinist Massimo Marin, and thereafter with Francesco Comisso, each of them feeling completely at home playing with musicians who share the same love of structure and sound. The name of the Trio derives from the word α‘ρχη’, meaning “origin” and “generating principle” in Greek, and sound is the generating principle behind the group’s interests and achievements. For over fifteen years, the Trio Archè has focused on the culture of sound in its interpretations of the great chamber repertoire and its efforts to expand awareness of works written in Italy for the same ensemble. Alongside compositions by Beethoven, Brahms, Schumann, Dvorak, Mendelssohn, Ravel and Shostakovich, the Trio’s programs often feature works by lesser known composers such as Bossi, Busoni, Casella, Martucci and Wolf-Ferrari. Their aim is to reveal a little-known world of Italian artistic expression in a repertoire that is far removed from the usual opera tradition. The three players’ cultural background, their outstanding instrumental skill and international experience invest their performances with extraordinary energy, elegance and interpretative originality.
Francesco Cipolletta began studying the piano at the age of seven with Maria Golia, obtaining a first class Diploma at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatoire in Turin. He then continued his studies with Lev Naumov and at the Fiesole Music School with Maria Tipo. While still very young he was awarded many prizes in national competitions, coming first at Mozzati Milano, Città di Treviso, Muzio Clementi Firenze, Catanzaro, La Spezia, Stresa, Como, and A. Speranza Taranto, among others. Later he also won awards in international competitions such as Busoni in Bolzano, Dino Ciani in Milan, Viotti in Vercelli, Rina Sala Gallo in Monza, Pretoria in South Africa, and the European Competition in Luxemburg. Such acclaim helped him launch his concert career in Italian cities and various locations abroad, including Brussels, London, Munich, Stuttgart, Vienna, Strasburg, Paris, Luxemburg, Dusseldorf, Karlsruhe, Copenhagen, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Hiroshima, Hong Kong, Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Norfolk, Cleveland. He has played at the Teatro alla Scala and the Sala Verdi in Milan, the RAI Auditorium in Turin and Rome, the Salle Gaveau in Paris, the Goldoni and Fenice Theatres in Venice, the Théâtre Royal in Brussels, the Konzerthaus in Stuttgart and Karlsruhe, the Gasteig in Munich, the Purcell Room in London, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Isumi Hall in Osaka, Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires and other venues worldwide, to enormous public and critical acclaim. He has played as a soloist with the Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala, the Orchestra Sinfonica della RAI in Milan, the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI in Turin, the Orchestra Sinfonica Giuseppe Verdi in Milan, the Haydn Orchestra of Bolzano and Trento, the Orchestra Sinfonica di Treviso, Orchestra Sinfonica of Sanremo, Luxemburg Radio and Television Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra of Lorraine France, the Symphony Orchestras of Johannesburg,
Cape Town, Pretoria, Durban, Bloemfontein, Virginia State, Cordoba-Argentina, San Paulo, and Malta. He records with the RS label, and his performances have been broadcast by RAI, BBC, Italian Swiss Radio and Television, RTL Luxemburg and SABC South Africa. Since June 2004 he has held the position of Academic in Residence at the Accademia Filarmonica in Bologna. In 2005 and 2006 he was a Jury member for the PTNA Piano Competition in Tokyo. He holds master classes at the University of Pretoria and at the Academy for Performing Arts in Hong Kong. He teaches Piano at the Ghedini Conservatoire in Cuneo. Dario Destefano studied with Renzo Brancaleon, Antonio Janigro and Johannes Goritzki, obtaining a first class Diploma in Italy at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatoire in Turin, and in Germany at the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Dusseldorf. In 1987, at the age of twenty-two, he was appointed first cello in the Orchestra of the Teatro Comunale in Bologna, later also playing rst cello in the RAI Orchestra and with the Teatro Regio in Turin. In 1990 he won first prize in the Viotti competition in Vercelli and second prize in the Osaka Chamber Music Competition in Japan. In 1995 he came second in the Trapani competition, won a silver medal at the Bordeaux Festival in France, first prize in a Duo at the Corsico Competition in Milan, second prize at the Concorso Straordinario di Duo at Vittorio Veneto. He has played in England, France, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Albania and Algeria, as well as touring in Japan (Fuji Festival and Bunka Kaikan in Tokyo, among other venues) as a soloist and in chamber ensembles with the soloists of the Berliner Philharmoniker and various American orchestras. In 2008 he was invited to tour the United States and in 2010 in Brazil. With flautist Andrea Griminelli, he premiered the Concerto n. 2 for flute, cello and orchestra by Enrico Morricone. Dario Destefano, Wolfram
Christ and Kolja Blacher inaugurated the 1st year of the International Masterclass Gargano Masters at Vieste in 2010. Together with two other soloists (initially violinist Massimo Marin and now Francesco Comisso, and pianist Francesco Cipolletta) he founded the Trio Arché, which focuses on the great chamber repertoire for this particular ensemble. Apart from its busy concerto schedule the Trio has recorded the Trios by Tchaikovsky and Ravel. Dario Destefano has recorded Chopin’s complete chamber works and music by Dvorak, Rubinstein, Shostakovich and Smetana, and as part of a Duo, the Sonatas of Brahms, Franck, Rachmaninoff, Shostakovich and Kabalevsky. His repertoire ranges from the Baroque to the early 1900s, but also includes contemporary music. Composers such as Sandro Fuga, Giulio Castagnoli, Paolo Minetti and Carlo Galante have dedicated works to him. He teaches cello at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatoire in Turin. He plays a cello built by Santagiuliana in Vicenza in 1821. Francesco Comisso started learning the violin at the age of five with his musician father. Following his Diploma at the Venice Conservatoire under Giulio Bonzagni, he moved to Germany, where in 2001 he obtained a first class Konzertdiplom at the Musikhochschule in Hamburg with Andreas Röhn, leader of the Bayerische Rundfunk Symphonieorchester. He then continued his violin studies at the Accademia di Chioggia (VE) under the great Serbian violinist Dejan Bogdanovich. In a Duo with pianist Pierluigi Piran, he has often played the complete sonatas for violin and piano by Beethoven, Brahms and Dallapiccola. He plays as a soloist with I Solisti Veneti conducted by Claudio Scimone, the Interpreti Veneziani, the Filarmonia Veneta, the Hamburger Symphoniker, Camerata Strumentale Italiana (Trieste), Orchestra da Camera Ferruccio Busoni (Trieste),
the orchestra of the Festival de Printemps at Saint-Dizier in France. He plays in chamber music ensembles with musicians of the calibre of Pavel Vernikov, Vladimir Mendelssohn, Sonig Tchakerjan, Danilo Rossi, Dejan Bogdanovic, Emanuelle Bertrand, Pierre-Henry Xuereb, Pierre Fabrice, Patrick Gallois, Andrea Lucchesini, Adriano del Sal, Rossana Calvi and Alessio Allegrini. He plays first violin with various orchestras, including Orchestra del Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto, Filarmonia Veneta, Orchestra Filarmonica Marchigiana, Camerata Strumentale di Prato, Orchestra Sinfonica del Friuli Venezia Giulia, Human Rights Orchestra, Orchestre du Festival de Printemps at Saint-Dizier in France, and with La Fenice orchestra in Venice and the Arena Orchestra in Verona. Since 2007 he has played regularly with the Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala in Milan, the Filarmonica della Scala and the Orchestra Nazionale RAI in Turin, working with conductors such as Bichkov, Chung, Baremboim, Gatti, Chailly, Krivine, Muti, Temirkanov and Harding. He has recorded with the following labels: RAI, Dynamic Rai Trade, TeleCapodistria, TDK, Velut Luna, Newport Studios, Hardly Classic, Arthaus Musik and Fabula Classica. Since 2003 he has played first violin with I Solisti Veneti under Claudio Scimone, also performing as soloist in many different countries and in over forty concert venues, including the Wiener Muiskverein, Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, Salle Gaveau and Salle Pleyel in Paris, Tokyo Suntory Hall, Tokyo Opera Hall, Philharmonie in Berlin, Gulbenkian Music Hall in Lisbon, Centre of Performing Arts, National Theatre of Beijing, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem Theatre, Teatro Teresa Carreno and Sala Simon Bolivar in Caracas. He teaches violin at the Nino Rota Conservatoire in Monopoli. He plays an 18th century Don Nicola Amati violin.