Krystal Productions is committed to presenting to the public the finest artistic musical and theatrical performances in the world today, specializing in contemporary artistic expression representing eternal artistic and spiritual values and dedicated to challenging the conventions of the dramatic musical theatre. Rather than attempting to impose foreign or radical structures for shock or novelty, Krystal recognizes the organic process of spiritual and artistic evolution and seeks to establish artistic strength and power through a coalescence of evolving consciousness with the traditions and culture of our civilization.
Date : Monday, February 7, 2005
Location : Weill Hall in Carnegie Hall, NYC

Krystal Classical Productions Presents
The Italian Cello
Concert recital by prize winning cellist Umberto Clerici in his New York Debut

NOTES BY MR. CLERICI

This program is a sort of journey through the Italian culture. They are from different historical periods (between the half of XVIII century and 1999) and from different geographical areas. All these pieces are strongly characterized and they have an incredible number of different moods but they have some features in common such as a strong taste for melody and expressivity.

Boccherini is one of the most important virtuoso-composers in the cello’s history. He composed 31 cello sonatas and the 6th (following the numeration by Ricordi Edition) in A Major is probably one of the most famous and surely one of the nicest. It is divided in Three movements, Adagio (very beautiful cantabile in which there is the research of improvisation), Allegro moderato (a virtuoso page where scales and fast notes are always used with the taste of elegance, typical in Boccherini music) and Affettuoso, a sort of Rondo that recalls rococo style.

Respighi was one of the most famous Italian composers of his age. He is a Maestro of orchestration. He composed this piece for cello and orchestra, Adagio con variazioni, in 1921. It is a very beautiful slow piece in which the ability of using the orchestral instruments (particularly winds), with an incredible variety of colours (let’s think about English horn in the middle of the piece), is combined with the melancholic voice of the cello. The cello uses all the registers.

Rossini is very well known for his opera works but less for his chamber interest. He composed “Une Larme” theme and variations very late in his life. It is included in the 9th volume of PÈchÈs de vieillesse, a sort of testament of the old style music. In that period (over the middle of 19th century) the music was changing quickly to new tendencies and Rossini abandoned the international background, continuing to compose in the old way like a sort of reaction. This piece is a virtuoso piece (in the style of Paganini for example) but it has to be viewed with sarcasm and in an ironical way. Une Larme in French means “a tear” and all the piece is a parody of virtuoso and gallant music.

Sollima is a young composer from Sicily. He is also a brilliant cellist and he often plays his music. “Alone” was composed in 1999 for an international cello competition in Milan and he caught immediately the audience with its spontaneity. It is divided into two sections: The first is connected with the Arabic conquest of Sicily and it simulates a hoarse voice. The second part is a reproduction of a popular instrument, the "scaccia pensieri" (that means dispel thinking, or something similar...). The first is contemplative and slow but the second is a storm of effects, notes, and rhythms.