Repertoire

Luigi Dallapiccola: Piccola musica notturna
Nino Rota: Divertimento concertante for double bass and orchestra
Felix Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 4, Op. 90 ‘Italian’

Artists

Barcelona Symphony Orchestra
Ludovic Morlot, conductor
Luis Cabrera, double bass

Programme

Luigi Dallapiccola composed the evocative Piccola musica notturna (1954) with a meticulous structure and intense dedication to timbral colours, drawing inspiration from Machado’s Noche de verano poem. The reference to the popular Mozart piece is a knowing wink of sorts if we consider the ways in which expression is achieved, influenced by musical avant-garde styles. Meaning, Nino Rota’s Divertimento concertante (1967-71) is more diurnal and expansive, spotlighting the double bass and featuring rhythms and melodies inspired by Italian traditional music, as well as showing influences from jazz.

Iconic and lively, Felix Mendelssohn’s 1833 “Italian” Symphony No. 4 conveys the joys of travelling through Italy, with dazzling songs, engaging rhythms and an orchestration that spans clarity and fervour. The search for classic balance – through the passion of this unmistakably Romantic composer – concludes a programme that explores the influence of Italian styles on the musical worldview of the past two centuries.