August 07, 2008
Pietro De Maria’s Chopin at AsiagoFestival
Saturday, August 9 at the Church of St. Roch
Pianist Pietro De Maria at AsiagoFestival, for an extraordinary appointment with one of the greatest Chopinists (as the authoritative magazine “Diapason” recently defined the Venetian pianist). And it will certainly be a special evening that AsiagoFestival audiences will be able to experience on Saturday, August 9 (9 p.m.) at the Asiaghese Chiesa di San Rocco, where Pietro De Maria is expected to perform a program entirely dedicated to one of his reference composers: Fryderyk Chopin.
In fact, the celebrated concert pianist will propose in Asiago some cornerstones of Chopin’s production, such as that immense lyric, full of passion, emotion and almost painful melancholy that is the Ballade No. 1 in G minor, which will be offered at the opening of the evening. This is followed by the Impromptu in C-sharp minor, filled with melodic motifs of unparalleled fre- schece and finesse, then the three brilliant Waltzes op.34 to which Schumann’s definition, who judged them suitable “more for souls than for bodies,” always fits. The exhilarating program then offers two more passionate, tender, delicate pages tinged with sadness, the Nocturnes op. 27, concluding with one of Chopin’s few encounters with the Sonata: in this case it is the one in B-flat minor, known for its funeral march and flashing finale, which passes as quickly as a shadow and is consumed with a hallucinated frenzy and before pauses.
An exciting and challenging program, the one chosen by De Maria, who in March 2007 began performing Chopin’s complete piano works at major Italian music institutions, a feat recorded for Decca and enthusiastically received by critics: “…these are among the best Chopin CDs ever, far superior to recordings by almost all the most celebrated names in the catalog.” Bryce Morrison, International Piano; “…a dream version of Chopin’s Etudes…. a consistency of thought that is the mark of the great Chopinists.” Etienne Moreau, Diapason; “As Pietro De Maria puts his hands on the piano, an old definition comes out as new: he is a poet pianist.” Lorenzo Arruga, Il Giornale.
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.
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.
TAMBURINO CONCERT
42* ASIAGOFESTIVAL
Asiago, Church of San Rocco Saturday, Aug. 9, 9 p.m. PIETRO DE MARIA, piano Music by Fryderyk Chopin Free admission
Info for the public: 0424.464081 – www.asiagofestival.it
UPCOMING EVENTS WITH ASIAGOFESTIVAL
Sunday, Aug. 10,
10:30 a.m. Council Chamber of City Hall
“MEETING WITH COMPOSER KRZYSZTOF MEYER” 9 p.m. – St. Rocco Church
Piano: Pietro De Maria
Violin: Maddalena Reszler
Violin: Anna Tifu
Cello: Julius Berger
Music by: Krzysztof Meyer
first performance of the duo for 2 violins
Tuesday, Aug. 12, 9 p.m. – ASIAGO – St. Rocco Church piano:Pietro De Maria
violin:Magdalena Reszler
cello:Julius Berger
music by: Schubert
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 as long as seats last, and in any case not
beyond the beginning of the concert.
www.asiagofestival.it
PRESS INFO: MARINA GRASSO, cell. 335.8223010