rec-20211020

Piano & Violin Recital

Danilo Mascetti & Solomon Markman

Wednesday 20 October 1 pm

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Danilo Mascetti & Solomon Markman

It was with great pleasure that we welcomed Italian pianist, Danilo Mascetti at Brentwood Cathedral, who was joined by Israeli violinist, Solomon Markman. Those present at Danilo’s recital in 2019 will remember him performing Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky and Ravel, so it was wonderful to welcome him back again!

Brentwood Cathedral’s concert organiser, Nina How, gave everyone a warm welcome before Danilo opened the recital with Chopin’s Ballade No. 1 Op. 23, considered to be one of his most popular and technically demanding works. Chopin composed four ballades and his first is from mainly sonata and variation forms. Written in 1831, Robert Schumann described it as “the work closest to his genius” and “my favourite of all his works”. From the opening phrase, Danilo engaged with the audience, drawing us to the first beautiful theme, enhanced further by the Cathedral’s bright acoustics and spiritual environment.

Throughout the two main themes and mood variations of the ballade, Danilo reached out to his listeners with sensitive, dynamic and expressive playing, leading to the Coda, marked ‘Presto fuoco’, with an exciting downward double octave cascade to conclude this exhilarating piece!

Danilo then delighted us with another work by Chopin, entitled the Fantasie in F minor Op. 49, composed in 1841. Free from the usual rules of Romantic expression it opens with Tempo di Marcia, continuing with bright pianistic flourishes before returning to a familiar marching theme. Danilo clearly shared Chopin’s intentions, particularly in the Lento Sostenuto theme, and throughout the piece to the last dozen or so bars in the Assai Allegro, completely holding our musical attention!

Solomon Markman joined Danilo Mascetti in the second half of the recital for the Brahms Violin Sonata No. 1 Op. 78. Also known as “Regensonate” (“Rain Sonata”), it has themes and rhythms from two of Brahms’s songs. From the opening bars of the first ‘Vivace ma non troppo’ movement, we felt the musical connection between Solomon and Danilo and their listeners. This opening movement is almost symphonic in its content, meandering, exciting and technically demanding for performers.

The beautiful piano introduction in the second movement set the scene for the ‘cantabile’ and melancholy mood, and both players responded with empathy, leading to the soft, luscious final bars.

In the final movement we heard more impressive ‘double-stopping’ and superb tone from Solomon, with eloquently delivered flowing melodies shared between violin and piano and in the climax, resulting in huge applause around the Cathedral!

An encore was also greatly appreciated, when Danilo and Solomon gave a brilliant interpretation of Kreisler’s Liebesfreud!

On behalf of Andrew Wright, Brentwood Cathedral’s Director of Music, and Nina How, concert organiser, we would like to thank Danilo Mascetti and Solomon Markman for their inspiring recital and we hope they will return to Brentwood Cathedral again soon!

Julia Bentham

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Programme

Danilo Mascetti – Piano

Frédéric Chopin (1810-49)	Ballade no. 1 op. 23
Frédéric Chopin (1810-49)	Fantasie op. 49

Danilo Mascetti – Piano … Soloman Markman – Violin

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

Sonata no. 1 op. 78

— Vivace ma non troppo

— Adagio

— Allegro molto moderato

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Biographies

d-mascetti Danilo Mascetti

English / Italian

Danilo Mascetti is an Italian pianist, member of the International Piano Academy Lake Como, the ‘19/’20 Carne Trust Junior Fellow at the Royal College of Music of London. He is the winner of the 2nd prize, best Baroque and best Classical prizes at the prestigious UNISA International Piano Competition 2020, South Africa. He is also part of the Talent Unlimited Scheme and a Live Music Now musician.

He regularly performs as soloist all over Europe, with orchestras such us Pomeriggi Musicali, Thessaloniki State Orchestra, Symphonic State Orchestra of Craiova. From 2014 he performs in China and Japan, debuts in London, Prague, Rome, Russia, USA and North Africa, with orchestras such as the West Bohemian Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonic Orchestra Hradec Králové, the Nova Amadeus orchestra, the NYCA Symphony Orchestra, performing for Kyoto International Music Students Festival, Aspect Foundation for Music and Arts, New York Concert Artists.

During this last season he performs with orchestras such as ASF Orchestra and UniMilanoB Orchestra, Brixton Chamber Orchestra, Philarmonic Orchestra of Bacau and RCM Chamber Orchestra. He recently debuted in Slovenia at the Presidential Palace for the current President B. Pahor, and with the Johannesburg Philarmonic Orchestra in Pretoria. During summer 2020 he tours Austria and Czech Republic, debuting in Vienna at the MuTh Concert Hall. Danilo also enjoys playing harpsichord and fortepiano, performing as soloist in Bach Concertos as well as a continuo player, and has made chamber music recordings at the fortepiano.

He studied with Vincenzo Balzani, Natalia Trull and Vsevolod Dvorkin, and in England with Vanessa Latarche and Gordon Fergus – Thompson. He is currently student of William Grant Nabore. Besides the most recent prize, he gained international reputation becoming laureate of competitions as “Princesse Lalla Meryem” in Rabat, “Gyorgios Thymis”in Greece, “Chopin” in Rome, “Pianotalents”, “E. Pozzoli” in Seregno, “F.Liszt” in Grottamare. During his studies he was supported by C. Bechstein, the Ann Driver Trust, the Music Talks Award, the INPDAD Italian awards. Involved from an early age with his parents and his family in the care of foster children, Danilo Mascetti has worked since 2015 with non-profit organizations of Lombardy becoming co-founder and Artistic Director of Arte Solidale Festival (Lake Como); all the proceeds from this festival go to help minors in need.

Danilo Mascetti

Inglese / Italino

Danilo Mascetti è un pianista italiano, membro dell’ International Piano Academy Lake Como, Junior Fellow ‘19/’20 presso il Royal College of Music di Londra per la Carne Trust. È il vincitore del Secondo Premio, Miglior brano Barocco e Miglior Sonata Classica al prestigioso Concorso Internazionale UNISA 2020, Sud Africa. È inoltre artista Talent Unlimited e musicista per Live Music Now.

Si esibisce regolarmente in tutta Europa con orchestra come i Pomeriggi Musicali, Thessaloniki State Orchestra, Symphonic State Orchestra of Craiova. Dal 2014 si esibisce in Cina e Giappone, debutta a Londra, Praga, Roma, e Russia, Nord America ed Africa, con orchestre quali la West Bohemian Symphony Orchestra, Philarmonic Orchestra Hradec Kralové, l’Orchestra Nova Amadeus, la NYCA Symphony Orchestra, esibendosi per Kyoto International Music Students Festival, Aspect Foundation for Music and Arts, New York Concert Artists.

Durante la scorsa stagione si è esibito con ASF Orchestra, UniMilanoB Orchestra, Brixton Chamber Orchestra, Philarmonic Orchestra of Bacau, RCM Chamber Orchestra e ha recentemente debuttato in Slovenia al Palazzo Presidenziale, per il Presidente B. Pahor, e con la Johannesburg Philarmonic Orchestra a Pretoria. Durante l’estate 2020 si esibisce in Austria e Repubblica Ceca, debuttando a Vienna presso la MuTh Concert Hall. Danilo inoltre ama suonare il clavicembalo e fortepiano, esibendosi come solista nei Concerti di Bach ed anche come continuista, ed ha registrato musica da camera al fortepiano.

Ha studiato con Vincenzo Balzani, Natalia Trull e Vsevolod Dvorkin, ed in Inghilterra con Vanessa Latarche e Gordon Fergus-Thompson. Al momento si perfeziona con William Grant Nabore. Oltre al più recente riconoscimento, si è guadagnato una reputazione internazionale aggiudicandosi premi a concorsi quali “Princesse Lalla Meryem” di Rabat, “Gyorgios Thymis” in Grecia, “Chopin” a Roma, “Pianotalents” a Milano, “E. Pozzoli”, “F.Liszt” a Grottammare. Durante i suoi studi è stato supportato da C.Bechstein, l’Ann Driver Trust, the Music Talks Award, le borse di studio annuali INPDAP. Coinvolto fin da piccolo con i suoi genitori e la sua famiglia nell’ospitalità di bambini affidatari, collabora dal 2015 con le organizzazioni Onlus del territorio Comasco e Lombardo come co-fondatore e direttore artistico di “Arte Solidale Festival”. Tutto il ricavato di questo festival di musica classica va alle organizzazioni sociali del territorio per aiutare i minori in difficoltà.

Solomon Markman

Israeli violinist Solomon Markman made his concerto debut with the Jerusalem Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra at the age of eleven. He had since performed across Israel with numerous orchestras such as the Haifa Symphony Orchestra, Tel-Aviv soloists’ ensemble and the Israeli Netanya Kibbutz Orchestra. He studied with Leonid Barshtak and further with Ludmila Feldman at the Conservatory of the Jerusalem Academy of Music & Dance.

Solomon is a laureate of several national competitions, including the Paul-Ben Haim competition for original Israeli music and the Eran Zoldan competition. He took part in educational programs as a soloist and chamber musician. Including the Global Leadership Education program in Japan, the Musica Mundi Course and Festival in Belgium, Keshet Eilon festival in Israel. He received masterclasses from world renown artists such as Ivry Gitlis, Maxim Vengerov, Ilya Kaler, Alina Ibragimova, Daniel Heifetz.

He has been supported by the America-Israel cultural foundation since 2011.

In 2019 Solomon was awarded an ABRSM Teaching Diploma.

In January 2020 he joined the Live Music Now scheme.

In 2021 Solomon was awarded a First for his Undergraduate studies at the Royal College of Music London. He had been a Charles Ravel scholar and studied with Leonid Kerbel and Lucy Russell.

Currently Solomon is continuing his studies at the RCM for the Master of Music in Performance. He is a Victor and Lilian Hochhauser scholar.

Refreshments will be served in the SONG SCHOOL afterwards

Admission is free, but there will be a retiring collection to help to fund these recitals. If you are able to use Gift Aid this will increase the value of your donation by 25% at no extra cost to you

Photos – GWH