Leonora Armellini Piano Recital

Leonora Armellini, winner of the "Janina Nawrocka Award" for the "extraordinary musicality and the beauty of sound" at the International Piano Competition "F. Chopin" of Warsaw (2010), debuts on video with an intense and challenging recital wonderfully filmed by Pietro Tagliaferri in Padua, in the sumptuous Palazzo Orsata Lazara Giusti del Giardino. In the comment contained in the accompanying booklet, the Paduan pianist writes: "There isn't a red line linking the programme, I simply chose pieces that were important to me. The pivotal part is the Études Op. 25, a colossal challenge for me. I have played Chopin's Études since I was young, but they always lacked something, I was never convinced. Then finally I found the courage to really work intensely on Op. 25, I played it several times in concert and I felt the need to focus on them somehow. This was the right moment. The programme follows with Bach/Busoni's Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue, and Après une Lecture de Dante, la Fantasia quasi Sonata by Liszt. I am very attached to the Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue, it was one of the pieces I played for my graduation, the only suggestion from Palmieri. It was a truly important work for her. Then I discovered Busoni's version and I said to myself Why not? I included the Dante myself, well, basically because I like it! It hasn't been a walk in the park, actually, because of this reason, when I arrived at the point I was satisfied with my playing I decided I wanted to record it. To do this I chose to make this [video], also because I find it really beautiful to see the face of a musician whilst they are playing. Being able to see the hands of the pianist is aesthetically very gratifying. I have made the [video] also for this reason, to have something that I truly like and that truly represents me."