Music in the Courtyard
A great start for the seventh edition: sold out for Sobrino and Bacchetti

    On Tuesday, May 26, the 7th edition of the Musica in corte (Music in the Courtyard) festival kicked off in Crema. The event combines excellent music with exceptional locations inside the courtyards of Crema's noble palaces, under the artistic direction of violinist Maestro Alessio Bidoli, in collaboration with the Pro Loco chaired by Prof. Vincenzo Cappelli.
  A new addition was the opening of the courtyard of Palazzo Vimercati Sanseverino, which was completely sold out for the opening concert. The duo formed by Giampiero Sobrino on clarinet and Andrea Bacchetti on piano presented From Opera to Swing. Bacchetti, who has already been heard in Crema on several occasions, including within this festival, confirmed his talents by showing mastery at the keyboard from the opening performance of Verdi's Romanza from La forza del destino as well as in Mozart's Fantasia in D minor K 397. Furthermore, he performed two pieces from Villa-Lobos's A prole do bebê, the first one sweet, followed by a pyrotechnic run across the keys that reaffirmed the performer's agility - while also joining the clarinetist for the rest of the program.

   Sobrino began with a meditative solo from the same Verdi opera, before the duo tackled the complex Fantasia sul Rigoletto by Verdi.
   This was a moment of high virtuosity, especially for the clarinet, which was extremely ornate in capturing the various expressive moments of the piece.
   A unique history links Benny Goodman to the French composer Poulenc: after meeting in Paris, they were supposed to perform Poulenc's Sonata for Clarinet and Piano together, but the composer's sudden passing resulted in none other than Bernstein sitting at the keyboard for the premiere. Sobrino and Bacchetti offered an elegant interpretation of it, ranging from the beautiful melody to the playful final notes, which also featured percussive effects.
   Skill and entertainment came together with Gershwin's Embraceable you I got rhythm where the initially intimate character then exposes the theme in perfect jazz style. Milhaud's Brazileira was also an enjoyable and lighthearted piece, exploring new atmospheres that did not overlook the charm evoked by Morricone in his soundtracks. The pianist interpreted the theme of Nuovo Cinema Paradiso and Sobrino joined him for the touching Gabriel's Oboe from The Mission.
   Well-deserved applause earned two encores featuring the almost hypnotic musicality of Piazzolla's Oblivion, closing with Besame mucho. Cappelli thanked Bidoli, the sponsors, and the hosting family, who received a gift presented by architect Elda Zucchi.
   Next event: Monday, June 1st, at 9:00 PM, at Palazzo Calvelli Perletti in Via Mazzini, featuring an exceptional trio with violin, cello, and piano.

Luisa Guerini Rocco