Elliott Carter
Piano Concerto / Variations for Orchestra

THE REVIEW

Elliott Carter, the American composer among the most significant of the last century, had a long life: and from the many encounters he had, he often derived music. It is enough to recall here his Italian tributes to Italo Calvino ("Con Leggerezza Pensosa" for 3 instruments) and Goffredo Petrassi ("Riconoscenza" for solo violin).

Perhaps the most European among overseas composers, Carter has over 120 works to his credit: the two pieces present on this CD are therefore just a glimpse into his vast production.

The "Variations for Orchestra" are the New Yorker's contribution to a key genre in the symphonic music of classical tradition: that of the orchestral treatment of a theme with variations. The result is a 22-minute piece, rigorous in writing and compact in listening, although articulated according to three musical ideas that undergo an incessant series of transformations; and it is another work that has roots in our country, as it was written in Rome during the period 1954-55.

Interesting is the listening of the piece that opens this CD, the "Piano Concerto" of 1964-65. Again, a form derived from tradition, that of the concerto for solo instrument and orchestra, which Carter divides into two movements only, for a duration, again, of 22 minutes.

This time the piece was written in Berlin, and you can feel it: the Wall had been built three-four years ago, and Carter lived in the area of U.S. influence. The bleak atmosphere of those years is perceived in this turbulent and restless piece, especially in the finale which becomes aggressive with the emergence of timpani and brass tearing into the piano's phrasing.

But among the qualities of this musician is essentially a serene gaze, however disenchanted, on reality: his music is never desperate, the last word always belongs to hope. So much so that, paraphrasing the title of his Italian piece, we could say: gratitude for Elliott Carter.