Bandoneon Specialist Mario Stefano Pietrodarchi Delivers Concert in Tribute to Astor Piazzolla at InClassica
InClassica 2021 is the biggest and most ambitious music festival to ever take place in the Middle East, welcoming a staggering 37 world-renowned soloists, 7 celebrated orchestras and 12 leading conductors to Dubai for a 30-day celebration of sublime musicianship, world-class performance and international collaboration. InClassica is pleased to present the biggest names in classical music today, featuring performers from Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas, for an unrivalled programme of phenomenal concerts taking place at the Dubai Opera and Coca-Cola Arena. The festival features a range of music from distinguished historical European composers, as well as works from the event’s Composer-in-Residence, Alexey Shor.
Last night at InClassica
Soulful and Expressive
Coca-Cola Arena
Without a doubt, Ennio Morricone and Nino Rota are two of the greatest film composers of all time. Morricone wrote the scores for several hundred films, and is credited with creating the now famous sound associated with so-called ‘Spaghetti Westerns’. In addition, he was also a prolific composer of concert works, writing more than a hundred throughout his lifetime. Nino Rota worked with directors including Luchino Visconti, Francis Ford Coppola, Franco Zeffirelli and, above all, Federico Fellini, as well as penning the scores to numerous concert works including ten operas and a staggering twenty-three ballets. For this special concert, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Sergey Smbatyan, paid tribute to these two Italian masters in addition to performing several works by the renowned Argentine composer, Astor Piazzolla. Known for his pioneering work as the creator of ‘Tango Nuevo’, Piazzolla revolutionised the South American Tango, expanding its reach to concert halls around the world and contributing immeasurably to its development as a genre.
Mario Stefano Pietrodarchi (bandoneon)
- How did you enjoy the performance? “I enjoyed it a lot. The musicians are fantastic and I’ve known the conductor for a long time, so he knows my style and my sound, and we pushed for the best, especially as we had only one rehearsal due to me only arriving yesterday, but it was amazing. You know, the public was very warm and I really appreciate it a lot. I always say, the concert isn’t just on our part, it’s a combination of beauty — the public feeling everything and feeling the emotion a lot, and we push a lot when we feel them liking and appreciating this music. I’ve played around Dubai on other occasions, but the public was never before so wonderful and showing their enjoyment like tonight.”
What was your experience of the venue? “You know I’ve played in arenas, for example in the past with Andrea Bocelli, but here the sound is incredible. My instruments played with no problem — sometimes in these larger venues it’s complicated. But tonight it was amazing and I felt very comfortable.”
How was everything behind the scenes? “Everything was wonderful, everything — from the first contact I received, everything was incredible. The detail, the welcome — and this is wonderful because the musician needs to feel comfortable. It was a really amazing hotel in an amazing place, everything was super.”
Sergey Smbatyan
- “Tonight was a very special concert for me — not just because it is less common to be able to programme this kind of music, but also because of the incredible Mario Stefano Pietrodarchi. He was a real pleasure to work with and it was clear the audience really enjoyed the concert. Tango music creates such interesting colours and — in addition to the truly incredible music by Ennio Morricone and Nino Rota — really brought a lovely magic. My thanks go to Mr Pietrodarchi, the orchestra and the whole festival team for creating such a wonderful concert.”
Quotes From Those in Attendance:
“What can I say, a fantastic concert. It was actually the first time I’d heard the bandoneon live and it was a real treat, I hope to hear it more in the future.” — audience member
“Without a doubt one of the best concerts of my life, and not something you hear that often in Dubai!”— audience member
“A very enjoyable evening.” — audience member
Tonight at InClassica*
Concerto Extravaganza
Coca-Cola Arena
Severin von Eckardstein is one of the leading German pianists of his generation. Playing with analytical sense, he does not only reproduce the music he chooses for his concerts. He gives his interpretations a unique transcendence. At the InClassica International Music Festival, von Eckardstein plays Ludwig van Beethovens's Piano Concerto No. 5, a tableau of troubled and changing times in the scale of a symphony. Antonín Dvořák's Cello Concerto is among the most important works of the genre. Gary Hoffman, a renowned master of musical detail, plays the solo part alongside the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra led by Dmitry Yablonsky. The concerto opens with ‘Xamm’, a dark and powerful symphonic piece written by the contemporary Maltese composer Albert Garzia.
- Severin von Eckardstein (piano)
- Gary Hoffman (cello)
- Malta Philharmonic Orchestra
*Full details (including quotes from performers and attendees) will be available tomorrow. For any enquiries regarding tonight’s performance, please contact us.
Organised by the European Foundation for Support of Culture and SAMIT Event Group, the 2021 Edition of the InClassica International Music Festival is currently underway, with daily concerts taking place until the 26th of September. For more information or to book tickets, please visit the official website at inclassica.com.