Concert “La Scintilla Divina” (The Divine Spark)

S. Maria Assunta parish church at Caldana di Cocquio Trevisago (Va)

Massimo Belloni and other photos from the evening

Massimo Belloni writes about the wonderful feeling brought out by playing with his teacher Bruno Canino. It all began about two months ago when Bruno Canino himself, who was working at his program “La Scintilla Divina” (The Divine Spark), asked him to perform together.

Playing in concert with Master Canino helped me rekindle, after more than forty years, a personal relationship based on a serious approach to music. A teacher-student relationship, often lightened by his tranquil yet brilliant personality. With each year passing my experience both human and in the musical field brought me back to his charismatic persona, decisive for my improvements in music, for all that we are different in range of achievements. Listening by the sacristy, I had occasion once again to admire his artistic and interpretative talents, the same ones that made him famous and a reference to many aspiring pianists; talents I even found enhanced on an expressive level. Mutual politeness helped along this particular experience, different in the sense we almost worked on an equal plane, although without changing de facto our general professional stances. In closing, Playing Shubert together as a public occasion, for “Remembering Patrizia” at Caldana di Trevisago’s parish church, proved itself to be a musically pleasing and unforgettable experience. As an encore we performed a Military March, by Franz Shubert as well.

Master Bruno Canino in concert performing Franz Shubert for “The Divine Spark”

“Remembering Patrizia”

Santa Maria Assunta parish church, at Caldana di Cocquio Trevisago (Va)14 August 2015 – 21:00

One of the greatest pianists of our times, Bruno Canino, rightfully considered a “legendary” musician, a “true monument” to international concertism, will be attending the XIII edition of “Remembering Patrizia” on Friday evening August 14th – starting at 9pm – at Santa Maria Assunta in Carnisio parish church, at Caldana di Cocquio Trevisago (Va).

“The Divine Spark” concerto features pieces by Franz Shubert, Sonata in C major D279, Drei Klavierstücke D946, Allegro in C minor op- 144 D947, a four-handed piano sonata, rarely performed yet wonderfully moving, which he played with his ex-student Massimo Belloni.

Bruno Canino has performed throughout the years a truly monumental repertory, both as a soloist and in a duo, making it difficult to draw a comprehensive synthesis. We point to his collaborations with contemporary avantgarde composers as P. Boulez, L. Berio, S. Bussotti, K. Stockhausen, G. Ligeti, B. Maderna, L. Nono. He has performed with soloists as well: Antonio Ballista, with whom he’s been working as a duo for over forty years, S. Accardo, U. Ughi, P. Amoyal, I. Perlman, K. Blacher, S. Gazzelloni. Lastly, he has been directed by personalities such as C. Abbado, R. Muti, R. Chailly, W. Sawallisch along with some of the greatest orchestras, which would be too long to list. He has travelled across the world to Europe, America, Australia, China and Japan. An extraordinary interpreter, often invited to Milano’s La Scala, he stands out thanks to his elegant style, enriched by a deeply personal creative disposition. Brilliant and infallible pianist, sought after and adored by the best soloists, with a special gift: to know how to bring out the smile from those near him, a man who stayed humble despite his success.

Massimo Belloni has studied under Bruno Canino at Milan’s Conservatory, where he made his debut at 17 years old, under the say so of Master Canino himself, in the Giuseppe Verdi Room, performing Concerto for piano and orchestra N° 4 in G major op. 58 by Beethoven, directed by Donato Renzetti. He actively dedicated himself to teaching from the beginning, at first along with masters Carlo Vidusso and Alberto Colombo, and later teaching at Riva del Garda and Parma’s conservatories; he has been holding the tenure of piano instructor at Claudio Abbado Civic School for over 30 years. He has held concertos throughout Italy, Germany and Japan and has performed for Rai radio. Along with teaching he has dedicated himself to composing and writing, publishing a number of books in these last years, and hass confirmed his presence on the web as well with numerous musical videos, part of which contain performances of his own pieces.