Grateful and excited to play live again: a weekend on the road with music I love. On Friday 18th Sept in Bologna, for Angelica 30th Festival. In program the intriguing music for timbre piano by Lucia Dlugoszewski (a European premiere) and a solo piano piece by Giancarlo Cardini from my new disc Lento trascolorare. Double set: it was great to share the stage with Frances Marie Uitti’s legendary cello (and music)! On Sunday 20th Sept. in Villa di Toppo Florio (Buttrio, Ud), immersed in an enchanting botanical garden, for TreeArt Festival. A program dedicated to Giacinto Scelsi, introduced by Luciano Martinis’s lecture about the famous Palm Tree of Scelsi. In collaboration with Scelsi Foundation – Rome. Below some pics and video of the events.
Angelica Festival, Bologna, before and during the concert
photo by Angelo Salvin
photo by Angelo Salvin
TreeArt Festival, Buttrio (UD), with Luciano Martinis and his series “La Palma di Scelsi” (Scelsi’s Palm Tree)
TreeArt Festival, Buttrio (UD), the concert (photo Lara Carrer)
In 1959 John Cage was in Italy. Some Italian composer friends suggested him to partecipate as a mushroom expert to the popular tv quiz “Lascia o raddoppia” led by Mike Bongiorno (here more info in Italian and English). For the occasion he wrote and premiered “Water Walk” and “Sounds of Venice”, for solo television performer. One year later he performed Water Walk again in United States, at the TV show “I’ve Got A Secret” – with some last-minute changes in the original score due to a trade union strike. Unfortunately the video of Radio Televisione Italiana with the first performance is not available anymore. In 2018 I performed in Venice and then in Art Park Verzegnis both “Water Walk” and “Sounds of Venice”, in collaboration with the European project Ecouter le monde, led by RFI and an international network of cultural stakeholders. This repertoire sounds very appropriate for a project that “has an ambition: to develop the practice, the meaning, and the pleasure of listening.” Below are the two video documentations of the pieces.
Credits: with Veniero Rizzardi – direction, Paolo Zavagna – sound projection, Claudio Bellini, Giovanni Dinello and Riccardo Sellan – technical and logistic support Many thanks to Alberta Ziche for the video editing and Claudia Chiggio and Roberto Tonon for the video shooting.
A.Toniutti – J. Cage, Water Walk, for solo television performer (1959)
A.Toniutti – J. Cage, Sounds of Venice, for solo television performer (1959)
Despite we’re definitely living in “interesting times”, as Venice Biennale 2019 seemed to foresee, music finds its way. My new recording Giancarlo Cardini: Lento trascolorare, piano music is finally available on line at Da Vinci Classics website, and from June, 12th on digital distribution (iTunes, Amazon, etc) and in store. On the playlist four unreleased pieces, “Via del Fico, Firenze. Una piccola strada disadorna, silenziosa, quasi immota, arida e bella” (2011), “Tre momenti di sessualità infantile” (2007), “Terza Fantasia, ad Agnese Toniutti” (2018) and a new version of “Foglie d’autunno lentamente trascolorano” (1983, rev. 2018), together with the fascinating “Rituals for the Ryoanji Garden” for piano, gong and voice (2012) and “Una notte d’inverno” (1982) (preview here and below). The booklet offers a writing by Giancarlo Cardini himself about his music. On the cover a picture by Enzo Della Monica taken during one of Cardini’s performances in the 80ies, part of the artist book Bolle di sapone/Soap bubbles (G. Cardini – Bolle di sapone, Centro Di, Firenze 1991). Inside some shots by the photographer Alberto Moretti. The piano is a Steinway & Sons B-211 dated 1890, restored by Steinway Academy technician Lorenzo Cerneaz, with a magnificent sound, rich in resonance. It’s a joy to finally see the first public (virtual but real) appearance of a project about music that I love. Let’s hope these sounds will have a long life, generous as they are in peaceful colours!
“… there is a (contemplative) process absorbed with the rational calmness of those who practice the voluptuousness of critical thinking. […] And Toniutti is really good at returning these impressions and sensations.” Mario Gamba, Alias – Il Manifesto, 16/5/2020
“Beyond time and space. […] spirals of enchanting repetitions that run alongside the silence, of expressive modesty in peace with the world. These Zen meditations progress lightly away from the care of the present, with a placid, ceremonial step, even without ever really advancing towards a specific goal. […] the album is in all respects (Cardini’s) portrait, light, intimate […]” Gregorio Moppi, la Repubblica, 15/6/2020
“Giancarlo Cardini, the unrepeatable moment – Pianist Agnese Toniutti in Lento Trascolorare reads with extraordinary depht piano compositions by the Tuscan composer”. Review and interview by Paolo Carradori , il Giornale della Musica, 2/7/2020, (article in italian)
“… pages […] that the virtuoso pianist Agnese Toniutti expresses enphasizing the lyrical constructivist scattered between note and note.” Guido Michelone, Alias – il Manifesto, 11/07/2020
“Giancarlo Cardini/Agnese Toniutti, Lento trascolorare piano music Cardini entrusted to play some of his composition pianist Agnese Toniutti, who gave evidence of extraordinary accuracy and depht, capable as few others to recognize and enhance the implications and nuances of Cardini’s thought.” Enzo Boddi, Musica Jazz, 12/07/2020 (italian)
“For Cardini’s 80th birthday, a critical contribution and a review of Agnese Toniutti’s cd […] Toniutti is good at grasping the very slow transfigurations, the subtle nuances, highlighting mottled dissonances or sweet consonances, the evocation of nature, the sense of mystery, the rituality of the gesture, returning us in a ‘cardinian sound’, possible only if the the interpreter adheres with participation to a completely personal and vaguely arcane (musical) world like that of Cardini’s music. An excellent example of how it should work.” Renzo Cresti, www.renzocresti.com, 25/07/2020
“[…] it’s up to the interpreter – the talented pianist Agnese Toniutti – to bring out the most minute details and the most hidden expressive nuances, jealously guarded, but still eager to be shared with the listener.” Filippo Focosi, Kathodik, 15/10/2020
Extraordinary opening of the year with Salotto Musicale del Friuli Venezia Giulia 6th concert series: on January 11th in Udine – Libreria Martincigh, presentation of the 2019/20 season with Gary Brackett – Living Theatre Europe, and on January 18th in Villa Aurora – Fagagna, concert with music by JohnCage and works of art by BobRauschenberg and MerceCunningham. A great start for a new season featuring also music by Lucia Dlugosewski, Alan Hovhaness, György Kurtág and many others. Below a TV news interview (in Italian) about the program.
Beginning of Autumn dedicated to the music of Giancarlo Cardini, working with the composer himself and recording in studio on a marvellous resounding Steinway B dated 1860, restored by Cerneaz Pianoforti – Official Steinway Dealer. The recording, including three unedited pieces, will be released at the beginning of 2020. Below, the inspiringly silent view from Cardini’s studio, in the Tuscan countryside, and some pics from the recording session (thanks to Luca Piovesan, sound engineer and… photographer.)
The view (and silence) of Tuscan countryside from Cardini’s studio
Playing the marvellous Steinway B dated 1860, restored by Cerneaz Pianoforti…
…and the impressive gong by AltrOnde/Stefano Dalan. Plenty of beautiful sounds!
Thrilled to play Giacinto Scelsi‘s piano music in Paris, the city that first recognized and supported his music. First concert on the 21st May at the intimate and refined Galerie Hus, then at the coloured and lively Pavillon Le Corbusier – Fondation Suisse on the 24th. As often, the recorded reading voice was by the film author Sebastiano D’Ayala Valva. Below some pics.
at Galerie Hus – pic Alice Boeri
Lovely drawing by Maryam Geravandi and Tristan Cormier on the Galerie program notes, inspired by music.
Pavillon Le Corbusier – Fondation Suisse: playing immersed in colour, design and nature
Fluxus arrived in Trieste on May 11th, during the 28th edition of Satierose Festival at Teatro Miela. Surrounded by the exhibition Satieflux curated by Sara Codutti and Cristina Burelli – Libreria Martincigh, and the humorous “furniture music” chairs created by artists and creative people who answered the call of curator Eleonora Cedaro and Teatro Miela, I premiered A really lovely piece made for & by Agnese by Philip Corner (video), together with music by Shiomi, Higgins, Corner, Glass and of course… Satie (here the programme). Inbetween, extracts from “Boredom and Danger” by Higgins and from an interview by Mieko Shiomi at MoMA.
Listening with Satie in background, before the piece of Philip Corner… (pic: Eleonora Cedaro)
…and smelling the Krapfenpouff from Lella Varesano – yes, real fresh krapfen.
With Sebastiano D’Ayala Valva and Riccardo Costantini pics by Elisa Caldana, courtesy of Le voci dell’inchiesta Here a small video of the event
E’ stato un piacere introdurre al pianoforte la proiezione dell’intenso documentario di Sebastiano D’Ayala Valva su Giacinto Scelsi, “The first motion of the immovable”, il 12 Aprile a Pordenone. Il film è stato proiettato per il Festival del documentario internazionale Le Voci dell’inchiesta, organizzato da Cinemazero e alla sua dodicesima edizione.
In March two concerts focussed on the work of women composers. On the 10th of March the performance for Camino deGenere Festival at Camino al Tagliamento (Udine, Italy): music by Fanny Mendellsohn, Alina Piechowska, Giovanni Vannoni, Caterina Venturelli, Stathis Gyfthakis, Mieko Shiomi. On the 15th an other step in my research on connections between men and women composers at Salotto Musicale del Friuli Venezia Giulia: a first encounter with Lucia Dlugoszewski‘s music for timber piano, together with pieces by John Cage for prepared piano (and not).
A marzo due concerti a forte percentuale femminile: il 10 marzo ore 17.30 per il festival Camino deGenere (un nome, un programma…) a Camino al Tagliamento (Ud), con musiche di Fanny Mendellsohn, Alina Piechowska, Giovanni Vannoni, Caterina Venturelli, Stathis Gyfthakis, Mieko Shiomi. Il 15 marzo ore 21 una nuova tappa della ricerca di connessioni tra compositori e compositrici per il Salotto Musicale del Friuli Venezia Giulia: una serata dedicata ai newyorkesi Lucia Dlugoszewski e John Cage, inventori rispettivamente del timber piano e del pianoforte preparato (e non solo!).
Camino de Genere Festival, 8th-10th March 2019
Salotto Musicale del Friuli Venezia Giulia, 15th March 2019
Very excited to bring some piano music of Giacinto Scelsi in Texas, USA! From February 18th, recitals and lectures in Denton, Fort Worth and Austin. More details on the Events Page. Below, some pics and a live recording from Denton’s recital, in the perfectly resounding Voertman Concert Hall of UNT with the great Steinway “hybrid” piano by Cyrillus Aerts.
Pronta a volare negli Stati Uniti con la musica per pianoforte di Giacinto Scelsi! Concerti e conferenze a partire dal 18 febbraio a Denton, Fort Worth and Austin, Texas. Tutti i dettagli nella pagina degli Eventi, Sotto, alcune foto del tour e un’estratto dal concerto nell’acustica perfetta della Voertman Concert Hall a Denton, con il meraviglioso Steinway ibrido di Cyrillus Aerts.
With the friends of Fogolar Furlan Southwest/Dallas after the recital with music and writings by Giacinto Scelsi at UNT in Denton (reading voice: S. D’Ayala Valva). Pic: Heidi Dietrich Klein
At TCU in Fort Worth: lecture-performance “The piano music of Giacinto Scelsi”.
In Austin at UT Austin, lecture-performance “The Amateur composer: Giacinto Scelsi and his piano music”. Pics by Andrew R Stoltz
