Meeting with Andrea Bacchetti
by Filippo Michelangeli
The Prodigy Boy
He is now 29 years old and says he has always felt like a child like any other, but at just 11 years old, he debuted at the Milan Conservatory with the Solisti Veneti and earned the admiration of legendary figures like Karajan, Berio, and Magaloff. At 17, he graduated in piano with top honors and praise, and began a career that has taken him to perform all over the world. His new CD for Sony is set to be released in the coming days. A precocious talent - at only 11, he made his solo debut at the Milan Conservatory with the Solisti Veneti conducted by Scimone. Andrea Bacchetti is now 29, but his résumé reads like that of a fifty-year-old. He has met great personalities such as Karajan, Berio, Horszowsky, Siciliani, and Magaloff. Originally from Recco, Genoa, he graduated from the Imola Academy with Franco Scala and is one of the most active Italian pianists on both the national and international scene. He performs at major festivals and has already recorded around ten CDs, two of which with Decca.
You started performing publicly as a child. At 11, you debuted in Milan. How does a young boy experience the moment of performance?
I have only isolated memories. What stayed with me from Milan was the
by Filippo Michelangeli
The Prodigy Boy
He is now 29 years old and says he has always felt like a child like any other, but at just 11 years old, he debuted at the Milan Conservatory with the Solisti Veneti and earned the admiration of legendary figures like Karajan, Berio, and Magaloff. At 17, he graduated in piano with top honors and praise, and began a career that has taken him to perform all over the world. His new CD for Sony is set to be released in the coming days. A precocious talent - at only 11, he made his solo debut at the Milan Conservatory with the Solisti Veneti conducted by Scimone. Andrea Bacchetti is now 29, but his résumé reads like that of a fifty-year-old. He has met great personalities such as Karajan, Berio, Horszowsky, Siciliani, and Magaloff. Originally from Recco, Genoa, he graduated from the Imola Academy with Franco Scala and is one of the most active Italian pianists on both the national and international scene. He performs at major festivals and has already recorded around ten CDs, two of which with Decca.
You started performing publicly as a child. At 11, you debuted in Milan. How does a young boy experience the moment of performance?
I have only isolated memories. What stayed with me from Milan was the
impression of Dr. Mormone who gave me my debut for the Society of Concerts. It was an important event;
reviews appeared in newspapers, which was still common then. I was nervous. But during the concert, I didn't
realize what it truly meant to perform in front of an audience. Over time, my awareness of what I do has grown.
I've never considered myself a prodigy. Even when I graduated from conservatory at 17 with top honors, I saw
it as just a starting point.
Despite your young age, you have met music legends like Karajan, Berio, and Magaloff. Who influenced you the most?
My relationship with Karajan was brief; we exchanged letters, but he died in 1989. Berio was my teacher. He taught me to be monstrously strict with myself. I owe him my sense of discipline, the objectivity towards the score, and he influenced my choice of repertoire. He had a great charisma.
Who do you owe your thanks to?
Franco Scala taught me to improve my technique and allowed me the freedom to express myself. Hans Fazzari, the patron of the Musical Evenings, has always believed in me. He is a rare and unique person: he gave me confidence by letting me perform many times in Milan alongside the greatest interpreters in the world.
You recorded Berio's piano works for Decca, a CD that was quite successful commercially. Yet, contemporary music seems to have disappeared from concert programs. Even great musicians, after the enthusiasm of the 1970s, tend to stay away from it. What are your thoughts?
Some musicians perform contemporary music regularly, like Maurizio Pollini or Pierre-Laurent Aimard. Unfortunately, most soloists believe the audience doesn't like it. I, on the other hand, think that with a little effort, the audience can become passionate about it.
In Italy, only about twenty pianists live by giving concerts. You are one of them. Is that a privilege or a responsibility?
Both. In reality, at an international level, Italian artists are not highly regarded. Honestly, I think being among the twenty is already a lot.
Next year, you will turn 30. How do you face your musical maturity?
I don't think about it. I believe one should always play with the aim to improve. Ten years ago, I was more virtuosic. In 1997, I played Rachmaninoff's Fourth Piano Concerto at a crazy speed. Now I do it more slowly. The same goes for Chopin studies. I regret the sense of risk.
In this CD, you perform Bach's Goldberg Variations, a monument of late Baroque art. What does it mean to play Bach on the piano, and how do you approach philologists who perform it on original instruments?
Playing music that wasn't conceived for the piano requires greater inner and emotional resources. I have a rigorous yet free, not rigid, vision. The piano has a damper pedal, and I use it.
Contests and career - an almost inevitable pairing for aspiring musicians. What do you think?
I believe they are no longer as decisive as they once were. Today's "Busoni" competition, for example, is not as valuable as it used to be. When winners like Cominati and Zilberstein won, it was more beneficial for their careers. Nowadays, the only competitions that truly launch artists internationally are the "Chopin" in Warsaw and the American "Van Cliburn".
A dream of yours?
I have just achieved it. I recorded a CD for Sony featuring Cherubini's Piano Sonatas, which will be distributed worldwide.
Interview published in SUONARE NEWS N° 121 - October 2006
Despite your young age, you have met music legends like Karajan, Berio, and Magaloff. Who influenced you the most?
My relationship with Karajan was brief; we exchanged letters, but he died in 1989. Berio was my teacher. He taught me to be monstrously strict with myself. I owe him my sense of discipline, the objectivity towards the score, and he influenced my choice of repertoire. He had a great charisma.
Who do you owe your thanks to?
Franco Scala taught me to improve my technique and allowed me the freedom to express myself. Hans Fazzari, the patron of the Musical Evenings, has always believed in me. He is a rare and unique person: he gave me confidence by letting me perform many times in Milan alongside the greatest interpreters in the world.
You recorded Berio's piano works for Decca, a CD that was quite successful commercially. Yet, contemporary music seems to have disappeared from concert programs. Even great musicians, after the enthusiasm of the 1970s, tend to stay away from it. What are your thoughts?
Some musicians perform contemporary music regularly, like Maurizio Pollini or Pierre-Laurent Aimard. Unfortunately, most soloists believe the audience doesn't like it. I, on the other hand, think that with a little effort, the audience can become passionate about it.
In Italy, only about twenty pianists live by giving concerts. You are one of them. Is that a privilege or a responsibility?
Both. In reality, at an international level, Italian artists are not highly regarded. Honestly, I think being among the twenty is already a lot.
Next year, you will turn 30. How do you face your musical maturity?
I don't think about it. I believe one should always play with the aim to improve. Ten years ago, I was more virtuosic. In 1997, I played Rachmaninoff's Fourth Piano Concerto at a crazy speed. Now I do it more slowly. The same goes for Chopin studies. I regret the sense of risk.
In this CD, you perform Bach's Goldberg Variations, a monument of late Baroque art. What does it mean to play Bach on the piano, and how do you approach philologists who perform it on original instruments?
Playing music that wasn't conceived for the piano requires greater inner and emotional resources. I have a rigorous yet free, not rigid, vision. The piano has a damper pedal, and I use it.
Contests and career - an almost inevitable pairing for aspiring musicians. What do you think?
I believe they are no longer as decisive as they once were. Today's "Busoni" competition, for example, is not as valuable as it used to be. When winners like Cominati and Zilberstein won, it was more beneficial for their careers. Nowadays, the only competitions that truly launch artists internationally are the "Chopin" in Warsaw and the American "Van Cliburn".
A dream of yours?
I have just achieved it. I recorded a CD for Sony featuring Cherubini's Piano Sonatas, which will be distributed worldwide.
Interview published in SUONARE NEWS N° 121 - October 2006
