Mario Castelnuovo Tedesco- Piano Quartet No. 2, Op. 55.

Album premiere, released on February 13^th

I would like to introduce this album released by the Naxos record label, recorded by pianist Alessandro Marangoni and the Adorno Quartet. The CD features works by Mario Castelnuovo Tedesco, successful 20^th century italian composer, who emigrated to the United States of America in the second half of his life and got recognition in the world of classical music. He created chamber works, overtures, film scores, choral and vocal pieces - characterized by original and complex musical language, rich sonorities and expresiveness.

From the work of Mario Castelnuovo Tedesco, pianist Alessandro Marangoni and the Adorno Quartet from Italy have picked two piano quintets, both structured in four ample movements. On CD Review, I would like to present the Quintet No. 2 Op. 155 entitled "Memories of the Tuscan Countryside" - a piece composed in 1951, in the second period of Castelnuovo Tedesco's creation process, after he had settled in Los Angeles and befriended violonist and teacher Bernard Sinsheimer, who inspired his passion for chamber music.

Evoking the soundscape of Tuscany, the pictoresque region in the center of Italiy, the song - with a clear programmatic character - was written for the Coleman Chamber Music Association in Pasadena and compromises four movements, each following traditional patterns: the first one is an Allegro in sonata form, the second one is a theme with variations, followed by a scherzo with two trios and the last movement is a vigorous rondo. We will, therefore, listen to this work in the remarkable interpretation of Adorno Quartet, founded 10 years ago, who has won important contests in Italy and performed on the stages such as Wigmore Hall from London, Flagey from Bruxelles or the Santa Cecilia Academy from Rome and released five albums up until now, dealing with works from Enescu, Brahms, Fauré and Mario Castelnuovo Tedesco.