A fine new album of the complete keyboard works by Elisabetta De Gambarini performed by Margherita Torretta

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Review/ Κριτική
Constantine P. Carambelas-Sgourdas/ Κωνσταντίνος Π. Καράμπελας-Σγούρδας

 

By Constantine P. Carambelas-Sgourdas*

 

Elisabetta De Gambarini (1731-1756) was a highly regarded personality in the musical world of her time. She was born, flourished and died (at a young age) in London, being a child of noble parents, an Italian father (Charles Gambarini) and a mother from Dalmatia. Even though she is mainly remembered today as a soprano, through her extended collaboration with George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) in his vocal masterpieces Messiah, HWV 56, Samson, HWV 57, Joseph, HWV 59, and Judas Maccabeus, HWV 63, she was also a harpsichordist, conductor, painter and above all, a gifted composer.

Following her highly praised previous Baldassare Galuppi (1706-1785) project, released in 2023, Italian pianist Margarita Torretta recently unveiled her latest album dedicated to the complete keyboard opus of De Gambarini. And what a treat she has offered us!

The album consists of the six Piano Sonatas, Op. 1, nos 1-6, plus the eight Lessons I, Op. 2 no. 2, II, Op. 2 no. 3, III, Op. 2 no. 5, IV, Op. 2 no. 7, V, Op. 2 no. 8, VI, Op. 2 no. 11, VII, Op. 2 no. 13, and VIII, Op. 2 no. 14, performed not in the ascending number order but in an order that would rather make sense during a recital and also makes a repeated listening more compelling. One lesson precedes each sonata and the remaining two lessons follow at the end.

Torretta’s confident and charming smile on the album-cover speaks volumes of her playing. She offers enthusiastic and high-spirited performances throughout. Her exquisite musicality and refined taste shine during every bar. She nearly makes one forget that the works were written for a completely different instrument that has little in common with our modern piano. Her vivid sense of style and structure, crisp articulation and brilliant overall technique set an example of how to make these delightful works by De Gambarini come to life. She balances the virtues of the piano while keeping in mind the character of the actual harpsichord for which the works were written.

In a thoughtful and sensitive manner, Torretta adds her own delicate touches to her readings (e.g. listen to the meaningful way with which she phrases the elegant Minuetto, second movement of the Sonata, Op. 1 no. 6). Ornaments and embellishments are added according to the late baroque era performance practice.

The album, for Piano Classics label, was completed at the beginning of last year (3-4 January 2024) in Piacenza, at the Conservatorio “Giuseppe Nicolini”, and both the immediacy of the recorded sound as well as the instrument are excellent.

So here is a recording that will no doubt widen the circle of De Gambarini’s admirers.

 

 

*Constantine P. Carambelas-Sgourdas is a music critic and a professor of advanced harmony, counterpoint, fugue, composition and piano. He is President of the C.V. Alkan-P.J.G. Zimmerman International Music Association, President of the Gina Bachauer International Music Association and President of the Association of Greek Critics for Music, Drama and Dance.

Constantine P. Carambelas-Sgourdas is a music critic and professor of advanced theory, composition and piano. He is president of the Association of Greek Critics for Music, Drama and Dance, president of the Gina Bachauer International Music Association, president of the C.V. Alkan - P.J.G. Zimmerman International Music Association, artistic director of the C.V. Alkan - P.J.G. Zimmerman International Piano Competition and artistic director of the Maria Chaerogiorgou-Sigara Panhellenic Music Competition. Ο Κωνσταντίνος Π. Καράμπελας-Σγούρδας είναι κριτικός μουσικής, καθηγητής ανώτερων θεωρητικών, σύνθεσης και πιάνου, επιμελητής μουσικών κειμένων. Πρόεδρος του Σωματείου Ελλήνων Κριτικών Μουσικής, Θεάτρου και Χορού, πρόεδρος του Διεθνούς Μουσικού Σωματείου Gina Bachauer, πρόεδρος του Διεθνούς Μουσικού Σωματείου C.V. Alkan - P.J.G. Zimmerman, καλλιτεχνικός διευθυντής του Διεθνούς Διαγωνισμού Πιάνου C.V. Alkan - P.J.G. Zimmerman και καλλιτεχνικός διευθυντής του Πανελλήνιου Μουσικού Διαγωνισμού Μαρίας Χαιρογιώργου-Σιγάρα.