Designing a concert programme is a delicate act of “composition” in itself. This is clearly demonstrated in the Bologna recital of Gabriele Strata, a 26-year-old pianist from Padua, winner of the Rio de Janeiro and Montreal competitions and recently appeared at London’s Wigmore Hall.
The architecture of the programme rests on four pillars drawn from Chopin’s piano music: the four Mazurkas, Op. 30; a carefully selected group of Preludes, Op. 28; and two monumental works such as the Sonata, Op. 35, and the Polonaise, Op. 44.
Within these quintessential Chopin genres, Strata identifies three possible contemporary resonances: Thomas Adès’s Mazurka, the Preludes of Giacinto Scelsi, and George Crumb’s two Makrokosmos.
PROGRAMME
Reflected Architectures
Frédéric Chopin
Mazurkas, Op. 30 Nos. 1–4
Thomas Adès
Mazurka, Op. 27 No. 3
Frédéric Chopin
Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 35
Giacinto Scelsi
Prelude No. 7 – Molto cantato
Prelude No. 8 – Delicato | Prelude No. 16 – Lento con agitazione
Prelude No. 23 – Presto furioso | Prelude No. 24 – Mistico
Frédéric Chopin
Preludes, Op. 28 Nos. 7–12
George Crumb
Makrokosmos: Music of Shadows (for Aeolian Harp)
Dream Images
Frédéric Chopin
Polonaise in F-sharp minor, Op. 44