Bazzini200. Opera transcriptions

On the occasion of the bicentenary of the birth of the greatest Brescian composer of the 19th century, the violinist Anca Vasile and the pianist Alessandro Trebeschi pay tribute to Antonio Bazzini. Virtuoso of the violin at a very young age and a talented composer, Bazzini gathered around him the most important names of the musical world of the time. As director of the Milan Conservatory, he distinguished himself in the art of teaching, counting among those taught, students of composition from Puccini and Catalan, bringing them the knowledge of the great orchestral traditions, which he was exposed to during his long tour as a violinist.

Bazzini did not miss the opportunity to pay homage to his contemporaries, carrying melodies on his instrument that resounded in Italian theatres during those years, in the most brilliant period for the Opera. To the themes of Traviata, Lucia di Lammermoor, Norma and many other masterpieces, Bazzini added his personal touch, bringing virtuosity to the violin played by the hands of the composer and only a few others, given the technical difficulty of the writing. Also for this reason, the scores have been forgotten and dispersed in the libraries of Brescia, Milan, Bergamo and Rome. Today they come back to life through the incision of the integral fantasies and transcriptions of operatic themes of largely unpublished compositions, coming out for Brilliant Classics through a box set, of which the concert is a selection.

Oggi tornano a nuova vita attraverso l’incisione dell’integrale delle fantasie e trascrizioni su temi di opere liriche, composizioni in gran parte inedite, in uscita per Brilliant Classics attraverso un cofanetto di cui il concerto rappresenta una selezione.

Violin Anca Vasile

Piano Alessandro Trebeschi