Campogrande, Prokof'ev, Dvořák: Teatro Comunale di Bologna

About the Event

The combination of violin, horn, and piano in a trio of soloists is a rare occurrence in the history of music. Only a few exceptional pieces, such as Brahms' Trio Op. 40, have explored this unique formation. Nicola Campogrande, an accomplished composer, writer, and Italian radio and television host, has decided to dedicate a concert to this unconventional ensemble, following in the footsteps of Brahms' attempt to merge the seemingly incompatible sonorities of these three instruments.

Sergei Prokof'ev's First Symphony, also known as the "Classic," is a small masterpiece that showcases the composer's ability to blend elements of the old and the new. In this symphony, Prokof'ev creates a highly original and ingenious composition that is not simply an ironic imitation of the eighteenth‐century style, but a modern musician's exploration of familiar musical paths inhabited by new generations. The symphony was first performed by Prokof'ev himself in April 1918, just a month before the Russian Revolution, with the approval of the new regime's Commissioner for Popular Education, who granted him permission to travel abroad. However, it was not until 1936 that Prokof'ev permanently returned to a radically transformed Russia, where music was regulated by the "Union of Composers," which dictated what genres and styles were considered acceptable.

In 1890, Antonin Dvorak presented his penultimate symphonic work in Prague, seeking to break away from the German model and create a piece that was distinctly different from his previous symphonies. The Eighth Symphony exudes a noticeably Slavic tone from its opening in G minor, with an unforgettable melody played by cellos and horns, capturing a legendary and introspective quality, offering a glimpse into the composer's personal experiences and memories. Following this evocative introduction, the entire orchestra joins in a festivity with rustic characteristics, resonating with the landscapes that Dvorak sought to portray. "Do not mock me. I am not only a musician, I am a poet," declared the Bohemian composer in 1889 when he released his Eighth Symphony to the public, a work that is rich in imagery and emotions, marked by a haunting opening that resembles a melancholic sigh, as if opening a floodgate of memories.