“A rare Ruggiero Leoncavallo at the piano by Ingrid Carbone”
Few know the piano music of the Neapolitan composer Ruggiero Leoncavallo (1857-1919), famous for his opera Pagliacci, much less for his song Mattinata. The thirty-six piano pieces interpreted with grace, lightness and expressive depth by the Calabrian pianist Ingrid Carbone, the region where the composer spent some years of his childhood and youth, are pleasant and full of feeling. Carbone, after numerous award-winning recordings, found a happy reason to take a break from Liszt’s piano virtuosity to dedicate herself to works that have a clear explanation in the melodic component, linked to the tradition of southern Italy. It’s true, many songs also find reference to Spanish or French timbres, but the melodic vein is typically Italian. The melodic line of each work finds excellent harmonizations well rendered by the delicate hands of the virtuoso who is performed, who we remember also has extra-musical commitments linked to university research in the mathematical field. Nocturnes, Intermezzi, Scherzi, Romanze, Serenades, Marcie, Tarantelle, Barcarole and more, alternate in the double CD just released by the well-known Da Vinci Classics. The technical perfection and the correct weight of the dynamics express every aspect of every work with balance. Some of these songs are particularly original. We highlight at least some of these such as the Notturno which begins the recording, Papillon, Bohémienne, Cortège de Pulcinella, a small humorous march, Menuet d’Arlequin, Primo Bacio, Menuet, Romanesca, in ancient style, a brilliant Tarantella, and the final Serenade. The presentation of Mario Marcarini’s CDs in the attached booklet is excellent. A compelling discovery for a quality aesthetic result thanks to Ingrid Carbone. To buy.
Cesare Guzzardella reviews Ingrid Carbone’s double CD “Ruggiero Leoncavallo: Pour Piano [Complete Works] on Corrierebit.
