reviews
The SWW are miniatures which played with Prosseda's loving care, do indeed sparkle as jewels. His secret seems to be - very little polish but plenty of breathtaking musicianship - which certainly illuminates the inventiveness in the works.Prosseda presented and played a hugely entertaining programme of Mendelssohniana (mostly SWW) in the Caetani castle courtyard on Saturday 4 July, interspersed with pieces in homage to Felix from living composers. The SWW are, of course, miniatures which played with Prosseda's loving care, do indeed sparkle as jewels. His secret seems to be - very little polish but plenty of breathtaking musicianship - which certainly illuminates the inventiveness in the works. Alessandro Solbiati (1956) begins with a few Webern-style notes, sparsely scattered across the keyboard, then increasing in density in Interludio X!V (Fuga Felix 2006); Marcello Panni (1940) owes much to French humour in general and Saint-Saëns in particular in Senza Parole (2008); Gilberto Bosco (1946) uses rondo form with Mendelssohn responsible for the binding theme and some episodes which sound loosely serialist in Ohne Worte mit Mendelssohn (2008). I was delighted to be introduced to Mendelssohn’s own Fantasia op. 28 in F sharp minor, which calls for two melodies of different pianistic colours to be played simultaneously, all dispatched with Prosseda's admirable virtuosity. So ended the first part of the programme.
Aldo Clementi (1925) is almost as famous as a chess player as a composer. He had a continuing game with John Cage, which they picked up at every encounter. He was one day having a drink at my house when he stood up suddenly and cracked his head against a low beam. O God! he declared, And that’s the bit of the head that plays chess! Games are very much part of Aldo's mindset and unsurprisingly they are to the fore in Barcarola for Four Hands (2006). All the notes are by Mendelssohn, but the order is by one of music’s great comedians - Aldo Clementi. In Mendelssohn (2006) Paolo Castaldi (1930) gives us five fragments interconnected with a promenade alla Pictures at an Exhibition. For the final encore to a highly responsive audience, Roberto Prosseda permitted himself a bit of Horowitz fun in taking the best known SWW - the so-called Spring Song - at breakneck speed.
No one has yet sold me fish and chips wrapped up in the SWW, but you may be sure that when these miniatures are served by Roberto Prosseda you are tasting the food of the gods.
Jack Buckley
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