August 10, 2008
After Meyer’s contemporaneity, Shubert’s classicism illuminates AsiagoFestival
August 12, 2008 Church of San Rocco in Asiago
After a Sunday entirely dedicated to Kryzstof Mayer and his music, with an intense morning public meeting with the Polish composer and an extraordinary evening monographic concert, AsiagoFestival “changes music” with an evening dedicated to the brightest Classicism. It does so, on Tuesday, Aug. 13 (9 p.m.) with a pro- grammed concert at the Church of San Rocco in Asiago featuring pianist Pietro De Maria, violinist Magdalena Reszler and cellist Julius Berger, artistic director of the AsiagoFestival. An outstanding trio, already applauded for its con- cern of music by Mayer, will be confronted with two authentic cornerstones of the musical literature dedicated to this formation: the Trio in B-flat Major Op. 99 and Franz Schubert’s Nocturne in E-flat Major. Two masterpieces born in the last creative phase of the composer who died in 1828, at the age of only 31.
Robert Schumann called “Suffering, feminine, lyrical….,” the Trio in B-flat (Schubert’s favorite tonality) which was published posthumously in 1836 although it dates from 1827. Essentially brilliant in appearance, it conceals a sense of restlessness that gives vo- ce to the thousand different moods of cosmopolitan Vienna.It is well known how for Schubert the reality of his time was continually transfigured, so invention is quivering and concrete data, the echoes of daily life, are dilated into astonishing perspectives where the om- bra of disturbance, even in the smallest nuances, appears as a sign of a pre- sentiment. This beautiful Trio opens with an openly accounting “Allegro moderato,” which is followed by an “Andante poco mosso” that expresses a moved affection of magical splendor; then the Scherzo with traditional Trio of dancing progression and the “Rondo: Allegro vivace” where the elegant theme, which appears only twice, leaves ample room for independent episodes that develop the imitative technique.
The Nocturne, in a single movement “Adagio,” also probably written in 1827, has long been judged to be a minor page, but it is instead written with the grace typical of a movement in the form of free variations on a gentle and melancholy theme, in which moments of poetic intensity are discernible.
ASIAGOFESTIVAL is organized by the Cultural Association “Friends of Music of Asiago” – “Fiorella Benetti Brazzale”, in collaboration with the Parish of St. Matthew, with the contribution and collaboration of the City of Asiago, Department of Tourism and Culture and the decisive support of Banca Popolare di Vicenza, Burro delle Alpi – Alpilatte, Gran Moravia, Bassan Bernardo and Sons and Rigoni di Asiago.
THE ARTISTS
Born in Venice in 1967, Pietro De Maria began studying piano with Gior- gio Vianello, demonstrating an early talent that led him, at just 13 years old, to win First Prize at the Alfred Cortot International Competition in Milan. He graduated under Gino Gorini at the Conservatory of his hometown, subsequently perfecting his skills with Maria Tipo at the Geneva Conservatory, where he won the Premier Prix de Virtuosité with distinction in 1988. After winning the Critics’ Prize at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Competition in 1990, Pietro De Maria was awarded First Prize at the Dino Ciani – Teatro alla Scala International Competition in Milan (1990) and the Géza Anda Competition in Zurich (1994). In November 1997 he was awarded the Mendelssohn Prize in Germany for his performance of Concerto No. 1 with the Hamburg Philharmonic conducted by Ingo Metzmacher.
Pietro De Maria carries out an intense concert activity, a guest of major European and American musi- cial centers and a soloist with prestigious orchestras, with conductors such as Roberto Abbado, Gary Bertini, Myung-Whun Chung, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Daniele Gatti, Eliahu Inbal, Marek Janowski, Ton Koopman,
Peter Maag, Gianandrea Noseda, Corrado Rovaris, Yutaka Sado, Sándor Végh.
Pietro De Maria devotes many projects to chamber music and is particularly attentive to contemporary composers: he recently performed the Italian premiere of Ivan Fedele’s Concerto for two pianos and three orchestral groups in Milan.
He recorded Clementi’s three Sonatas op. 40 for the Naxos label, a recital recorded live at the for VAI Audio and the complete works of Beethoven for cello and piano with Enrico Dindo for Decca. Pietro De Maria teaches at the Fiesole School of Music and at the International Engadin Summer Piano Academy held in Switzerland every two years.
Magdalena Reszler was born in Bydgoszcz, Poland, to a famous family of Polish musicians. In 1970 she completed her studies with honors at the Warsaw Academy of Music, where she studied with Stanislaw Kawalla and Tadeusz Wronski. He has won numerous international prizes, including the “Queen Elizabeth Competition” in Brussels, the “Jac- ques Thibaud ” in Paris and the “Carl Flesch Violin Competition” in London.
He has performed as a soloist in many European countries, in the USA, South Korea and Mongolia, and has recorded for Polish Radio, NDR (Hamburg), WDR (Cologne), among others. Her repertoire includes more than 30 concertos for solo violin and orchestra and more than 20 solo “recitals.”
In addition to her solo activity, Magdalena Rezler has been intensively active as a chamber musician, leading the “Rezler-Quartet” for 13 years. She has worked with chamber orchestras in Polo- nia (“Con moto ma cantabile”) and Germany (Freiburger Barock Solisten). A highly respected pedagogue, Magdalena Rezler taught at the “Chopin” Music Academy in Warsaw and since 1991 has been a lecturer in Freiburg i. Breisgau in Germany. She gives regular “master- classes” in Germany, Austria, Poland, South Korea, Japan and the U.S.
Julius Berger, born in 1954 in Augsburg, studied at the “Musikhochschule München” with Walter Reichhard and Fritz Kiskalt, then at the “Mozarteum” in Salzburg with Antonio Janigro (from 1979 to 1982 he worked as his assistant). He continued his studies with Zara Nelsova (Cincinnati/USA) and also participated in a master class with Mstislav Rostro- povitsch. At the age of 28 he became a professor at the “Musikhochschule Würzburg,” thus being the youngest professor in Germany. He then taught in Saarbrücken, Mainz and since 2000 at the “Musikhochschule Augsburg and Nürnberg.” Since 1992, he has been teaching courses at the “Internationalen Sommerakademie des Mozarteums” in Sa- lisburg.
His recordings of J.S. Bach’s 6 Suites are praised by critics and the public, along with Luigi Boccherini’s unpublished concertos. He premieres works by M.Bruch, L.Boccherini, R. Strass, M. Wolpe, M. Dupré, G. Tartini, L. Leo, for the Ebs, Orfeo, Wergo, Cpo, Organ labels.
A sensitive and inspired contemporary performer, he has profound relationships with some of the most important composers of our time, such as Olivier Messiaen, Sofia Gubaidu- lina, Wolfgang Rihm, Toshio Hosokawa, Wilhelm Killmeyer, Bertold Kummel, Viktor Suslin, Adriana Holsky, who dedicate many works he premiered to him. He participated in numerous concerts and tours together with distinguished colleagues such as Leonhard Bernstein, Eugen Jochum, Gidon Kremer, Jörg Demus, Norman Shetler, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Bernd Glemser, Stefan Hussong, Eduard Brunner, Wolfagang Meyer. He is presi- dent of the international “Leopold Mozart” competition and a jury member of numerous awards in Salzburg, Kronberg, Munich, and Warsaw, as well as artistic director of the Ec- kelshausener Musiktage and the “Mozart 2006” celebration program of the city of Augsburg.
He is author of poems and essays such as “Irritationskraft” (Hindemith Jahrbuch 1992), “Einheit in der Vielfalt – Vielfalt in der Einheit” (Forschungsmagazin der Universität Mainz, 1998), “Zeit und Ewigkeit” (preface by Card.Karl Kardinal).
CONCERT DRUMMER
Tuesday, Aug. 12, 9 p.m. – ASIAGO – St. Rocco Church piano:Pietro De Maria
violin:Magdalena Reszler
cello:Julius Berger
music by: Schubert
Free admission
Info for the public: 0424.464081 – www.asiagofestival.it
NEXT APPOINTMENTS
Thursday, August 14 – ASIAGO – Church of S.Rocco
10:30 a.m. Council Chamber of the City Hall
Julius Berger
CD presentation ” Birth of the Cello”
Historical musicological introduction and performance of a selection of pieces from the RESEARCHES of Gianbattista Degli Antonii and Domenico Gabrielli
9 p.m.00 Church of S.Rocco
cello ensemble: “Cello Passionato”
Julius Berger, Hyun-Jung Berger, Anna Grendene, Alberto Brazzale Music by: Pachelbel, Suslin, Fitzenhagen, Kancheli, Bartok, Haydn
Friday, August 15, 9 p.m. – ASIAGO – St. Matthew’s Cathedral choir: Coenobium Vocale
director: Maria Dal Bianco
cello : Julius Berger and Hyun-Jung Berger
music by: Bonato, Perotinus, Miskinis, Lauridsen,
first performance of: “O lilium convallium” for 2 cellos and spatialized male choir.
Wednesday, Aug. 20, 9 p.m. – ASIAGO – St. Matthew Cathedral Organ: Anton Guggemos
soprano: Cecilia Tabellion
mezzo soprano: Gabi Steck
music by: Mouret, Scarlatti, Vivaldi, Biechteler, Liszt, Rheinberger, Boellmann, Terziani, Salome, Saint-Saens, Mozart, Senaille, Bach
Free admission, allowed only while seats last, but no later than the beginning of the concert.
www.asiagofestival.it