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Piano Classics

Malipiero: Piano Works

Romantic Dramatic Exotic Nostalgic Dark
$19.99

Details

Composer
Gian Francesco Malipiero
Artist
Alessandro Riccardi
Format
CD
Label
Piano Classics
Released
Apr 18, 2025
Catalog #
PCL10323
UPC
5029365103237

About

Gian Francesco Malipiero (1882-1973) approached the piano with a sense of expressive freedom, avoiding the conventions of pure virtuosity and preferring a more intimate and reflective language. His piano pieces range from lyrical miniatures to more complex works, in which influences can be recognized from Italian early music to the modernity of Debussy, Casella, Stravinsky and Scriabin. Alessandro Riccardi has programmed a sequence of pieces written during the 1900s and 1910s. They evoke a creative laboratory, where harmonic experimentation and the search for new expressive forms intertwine with a deep respect for the past. From 1905, the 6 Morceaux represent the first expression of Malipiero's compositional personality, where modal influences intersect with late 19th-century trends. Published in 1910, the Tre danze antiche represent Malipiero the assiduous antiquarian, the reviver and transcriber of his 17th-century forebears such as Monteverdi and Gabrieli. The quartet of Preludi autunnali were composed in Venice in September 1914 and foreshadow a period of 'perpetual tragedy' in the composer's music caused by the outbreak of World War I. As Malipiero wrote in 1952: "Their melancholy is perhaps the effect of the war just begun and not yet felt." Those effects are further amplified in Maschere che passano from 1918, a 10-minute quintet of oblique sketches, presenting high contrasts: mysterious, violent, distant, Malipiero at his most late-Debussyan. In 1920 he then wrote a heartfelt homage to Debussy, followed by 'Three Homages', which undercut the solemnity of their title by being dedicated successively to a parrot, an elephant and 'an idiot'. Throughout the album, marking Alessandro Riccardi's debut on Piano Classics, the piano becomes an instrument for personal introspection and sonic exploration, while maintaining a strong connection to Italian tradition and, at the same time, looking into the future. - Gian Francesco Malipiero was an Italian composer whose piano works reflect his unique approach to musical expression, blending tradition and modernity. Known for rejecting the rigid structures of classical forms, Malipiero sought to evoke pure emotion and a sense of mystery in his music, often drawing on Italian folk traditions and Renaissance polyphony. His piano compositions are characterized by their lyrical qualities, rich textures, and distinctive harmonic language. - Malipiero's piano output includes several collections, each showing his innovative yet deeply Italian aesthetic. Among his notable works are the Preludi autunnali (Autumnal Preludes), a series of poetic and introspective pieces imbued with melancholic beauty. These works often feature modal harmonies and unexpected shifts in tonality, reflecting his quest to free music from the constraints of conventional Romanticism. - Other works on this new recording are the Maschere que passano, Omaggi, Six Morceaux, and 3 Danze Antiche. These pieces are deeply atmospheric, blending delicate, impressionistic passages with moments of stark drama. Malipiero's piano music often eschews virtuosic display in favor of expressive depth, demanding a nuanced and sensitive touch from the performer. - Alessandro Riccardi is one of the most remarkable young pianists of his generation. His CDs with works by Scriabin and Liszt received several 5-star reviews in the international press.

Tracklist 22 tracks

  1. 1 I. Lento, ma carezzevole 03:52
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Lento, ma carezzevole
    Duration
    03:52
    Composer
    Gian Francesco Malipiero
    Performer
    Alessandro Riccardi
  2. 2 II. Ritenuto, ma spigliato 03:00
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Ritenuto, ma spigliato
    Duration
    03:00
    Composer
    Gian Francesco Malipiero
    Performer
    Alessandro Riccardi
  3. 3 III. Lento, triste 04:15
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Lento, triste
    Duration
    04:15
    Composer
    Gian Francesco Malipiero
    Performer
    Alessandro Riccardi
  4. 4 IV. Veloce 03:08
    Track
    4
    Title
    IV. Veloce
    Duration
    03:08
    Composer
    Gian Francesco Malipiero
    Performer
    Alessandro Riccardi
  5. 5 I. Allegro vivace. Molto capriccioso 01:26
    Track
    5
    Title
    I. Allegro vivace. Molto capriccioso
    Duration
    01:26
    Composer
    Gian Francesco Malipiero
    Performer
    Alessandro Riccardi
  6. 6 II. Lento ma non troppo. Con una certa goffaggine 02:00
    Track
    6
    Title
    II. Lento ma non troppo. Con una certa goffaggine
    Duration
    02:00
    Composer
    Gian Francesco Malipiero
    Performer
    Alessandro Riccardi
  7. 7 III. Mosso. Spiritato 01:00
    Track
    7
    Title
    III. Mosso. Spiritato
    Duration
    01:00
    Composer
    Gian Francesco Malipiero
    Performer
    Alessandro Riccardi
  8. 8 IV. Un poco ritenuto. Con enfasi grottesca 02:25
    Track
    8
    Title
    IV. Un poco ritenuto. Con enfasi grottesca
    Duration
    02:25
    Composer
    Gian Francesco Malipiero
    Performer
    Alessandro Riccardi
  9. 9 V. Vivacissimo. Furiosamente 01:03
    Track
    9
    Title
    V. Vivacissimo. Furiosamente
    Duration
    01:03
    Composer
    Gian Francesco Malipiero
    Performer
    Alessandro Riccardi
  10. 10 I. A un elefante 02:16
    Track
    10
    Title
    I. A un elefante
    Duration
    02:16
    Composer
    Gian Francesco Malipiero
    Performer
    Alessandro Riccardi
  11. 11 II. A un idiota 02:45
    Track
    11
    Title
    II. A un idiota
    Duration
    02:45
    Composer
    Gian Francesco Malipiero
    Performer
    Alessandro Riccardi
  12. 12 III. A un pappagallo 01:34
    Track
    12
    Title
    III. A un pappagallo
    Duration
    01:34
    Composer
    Gian Francesco Malipiero
    Performer
    Alessandro Riccardi
  13. 13 Le Tombeau de Claude Debussy: No. 3. Hommage à Claude Debussy: Lento 02:25
    Track
    13
    Title
    Le Tombeau de Claude Debussy: No. 3. Hommage à Claude Debussy: Lento
    Duration
    02:25
    Composer
    Gian Francesco Malipiero
    Performer
    Alessandro Riccardi
  14. 14 No. 1. Serenata: Andante 03:49
    Track
    14
    Title
    No. 1. Serenata: Andante
    Duration
    03:49
    Composer
    Gian Francesco Malipiero
    Performer
    Alessandro Riccardi
  15. 15 No. 2. Scherzando: Allegro focoso 01:50
    Track
    15
    Title
    No. 2. Scherzando: Allegro focoso
    Duration
    01:50
    Composer
    Gian Francesco Malipiero
    Performer
    Alessandro Riccardi
  16. 16 No. 3. Notturno pastorale: Adagio ma non troppo - Un poco più mosso 03:09
    Track
    16
    Title
    No. 3. Notturno pastorale: Adagio ma non troppo - Un poco più mosso
    Duration
    03:09
    Composer
    Gian Francesco Malipiero
    Performer
    Alessandro Riccardi
  17. 17 No. 4. Bizzarria: Allegro 01:41
    Track
    17
    Title
    No. 4. Bizzarria: Allegro
    Duration
    01:41
    Composer
    Gian Francesco Malipiero
    Performer
    Alessandro Riccardi
  18. 18 No. 5. All'alba: Andante mosso 03:37
    Track
    18
    Title
    No. 5. All'alba: Andante mosso
    Duration
    03:37
    Composer
    Gian Francesco Malipiero
    Performer
    Alessandro Riccardi
  19. 19 No. 6. Tarantella: Allegro vivace 02:22
    Track
    19
    Title
    No. 6. Tarantella: Allegro vivace
    Duration
    02:22
    Composer
    Gian Francesco Malipiero
    Performer
    Alessandro Riccardi
  20. 20 No. 1. Gavotta da la Sinfonia del Silenzio: Allegretto 02:58
    Track
    20
    Title
    No. 1. Gavotta da la Sinfonia del Silenzio: Allegretto
    Duration
    02:58
    Composer
    Gian Francesco Malipiero
    Performer
    Alessandro Riccardi
  21. 21 No. 2. Minuetto: Carezzevole 04:10
    Track
    21
    Title
    No. 2. Minuetto: Carezzevole
    Duration
    04:10
    Composer
    Gian Francesco Malipiero
    Performer
    Alessandro Riccardi
  22. 22 No. 3. Giga: Presto 03:48
    Track
    22
    Title
    No. 3. Giga: Presto
    Duration
    03:48
    Composer
    Gian Francesco Malipiero
    Performer
    Alessandro Riccardi