Russian Vivacello festival always represents something new for the Russian music lovers – this principle invariably lies at the heart of the festival. The IX festival held on November 13-22, 2017 brings to Russia for the first time concert for cello Twin Legends written by Roberto Molinelli in 2003. It will be played by Italian musicians Enrico Dindo and Solisti Di Pavia on November 20, 2017 at Moscow conservatory. “Twin legends”, which was called “gorgeously jazzy piece” by media, was written especially for them.
Before the premiere cultural and political magazine “E-Vesti” asked Roberto Molinelli for the interview in order to become better acquainted with the composer.
EV: There is just a few facts about you in Russian and English Internet. Are you from musical family?
Molinelli R.: Mine is a musical family: my uncle was principal viola in the italian Radio-TV orchestra, my father played clarinet, my sister is a soprano and my brother teaches violin.
EV: When you created your first music?
Molinelli R.: I wrote my first composition when I was 7, I still remember its title: “March”, which is my birth month.
EV: Where did you study and who were your professors?
Molinelli R.: I studied Viola in Pesaro, the city of Gioachino Rossini, at the Rossini Conservatory. Moreover, I started my Composition studies in the same years. More recently I started also a career as conductor, performing concerts with many renowned artists and orchestras, such as the famous tenor Josè Carreras.
EV: You work with different musicians from all over the world and famous musicians play your music (La Scala, Marinskij, Manchester Camerata, etc). What was the last outstanding experience of collaboration?
Molinelli R.: In September 2017 my new composition has been chosen as “Premiere of the month” on “The Strad”, the classical music world’s leading magazine. It’s my new Viola Concerto, “Lady Walton’s Garden”, which has been performed for the first time by the famous Russian viola soloist Anna Serova and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. The concert, held in Wellington (NZ), has been broadcast in worldwide live streaming. I wrote several pieces for Anna. We met each other as soloist and conductor on the same stage, a couple of years ago. From that concert we are a couple also in life.
EV: Famous Italian group “Solisti Di Pavia” will represent your creation “Twin Legends” in Moscow on November 20, 2017. Could you, please, comment on how it was created, what inspiration you had for it.
Molinelli R.: “Twin Legends” is a work dedicated to two musical genres which greatly influenced 20th century music. It is based on two extremely contrasting musical ideas, two themes of strong rhythmical and melodic contents which aim to explore the different and sometimes peculiar characteristics of the string instruments within this orchestration. On one hand the legend is represented by the myth of italian 20th century melodrama, Giacomo Puccini, and on the other by the overhelming impact of African-American music, Jazz and Blues, which contaminated and educated musical world of the time. I wrote and dedicated this composition to Enrico Dindo and I Solisti di Pavia, who recorded this work on their CD “Dediche”.
EV: Twin Legends is accompanied in concert by Astor Piazzolla, Gioachino Antonio Rossini, Johan Sibelius. Are these composers close for you? What is your favorite composer if you can chose one.
Molinelli R.: I live in Pesaro, Rossini’s birth city, I love Sibelius’ music, so colorful and so full of passion. And Astor Piazzolla, who was born from Italian parents, was one of the first musicians to whom I dedicated a composition for viola, cello and orchestra, named “Milonga para Astor”, in 1988. And my next project will be about a new and original Tango rearrangement of many italian opera music, from Verdi, Puccini, and Rossini. This project, “Tango at the Opera”, will include a Tango version of “Il Barbiere di Siviglia”, to celebrate Rossini’s 150th anniversary in 2018, with a video filmed in Pesaro, inside Teatro Rossini and Rossini’s birth house, with two worldwide famous Argentinian tango dancers: Sebastian Arce and Mariana Montes.
EV: Do you have any expectations for VIvacello premiere in Russia?
Molinelli R.: I’m always very happy to come to Russia, and my composition is in very good hands, of my friend Enrico Dindo and I Solisti di Pavia. I’m very looking forward to attending personally the Russian premiere of my piece and to meet Russian audience. Also, on November 24th, I’ll conduct the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra in the Moscow International House of Music. I’m very happy to have started this collaboration with this fabolous orchestra, and its director Gayane Shiladjan.
