Riccardo Pick-Mangiagalli: Colloque au Clair de Lune (Conversation by moonlight) Op. 33 No. 1

The Czech-born Riccardo Pick-Mangiagalli (1882-1949) was a concert pianist who studied at the Milan Conservatory and succeeded Pizzetti as its director in 1939. This piece is the first of his two 'Lunaires', the second being the far better known 'La danse d'Olaf'. ' Colloque ...' was published in 1916, and plays like a piano version of a scene from a Puccini opera (it is described by Maurice Hinson in his book on piano repertoire as a 'sensuous nocturne'. One can easily imagine it as a duet between Cavaradossi and Tosca. The neglect of late 19th c and early 20th c Italian piano repertoire when Italian opera from the same period remains so popular is mystifying.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------­----------------------------------------
Played by Phillip Sear
http://www.psear.co.uk

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Riccardo
• Pick-Mangiagalli
• Colloque
• Clair
• Lune
• Conversation
• moonlight
• piano
• Italian
• verismo
• classical
• phillip
• sear

[PSearPianist]

Thank you - that's a really kind comment. And best of luck with your own musical work!

[coldharbur00]

cool stuff thanks! awesome to listen to as a young musician! keep up the great work you are inspiration!

[PSearPianist]

Thanks for your comment. I have looked at Danse d'Olaf - but could never memorize it and would not be able to manage the page turns. I heard an 'A list' pianist (I can't remember who) playing it in a radio broadcast a few months ago so it it is still on the fringes of the repertoire. I have played the Prelude e Toccata myself in a concert - you are right about that work being in a more conservative harmonic style.

[marirossi]

A very interesting piece and performance! I've played Danse d'Olaf and Preludio e Toccata but this piece is harmonically much more "modern"...maybe in some passages it reminds the Preludio