Dvorak and Wagner. An impossible encounter. Roma Tre Orchestra

The collaboration between the Capitoline Superintendence and the Roma Tre Orchestra is renewed this year too, with the organization of a rich and varied program of chamber music concerts focused on the classical repertoire. Thanks to this initiative, in fact, inside the Villa Borghese park, the Carlo Bilotti Museum and the Pietro Canonica Museum host, on Saturdays and Sundays, free of charge for all visitors, some of the most famous Italian musicians who perform surrounded by the works of Giorgio de Chirico and the sculptures of Pietro Canonica.

The concert program, on December 28 at 12:00, includes the Piano Trio No. 4 "Dumky" in E minor, op. 90 (B.166) by Antonin Dvorák and the Prelude from “Tristan and Isolde”; Wesendonck lieder, for voice and string quartet by Richard Wagner. Dvorák's Piano Trio is linked to the word dumky, plural of dumka, from the verb dumati, which in all Slavic languages ​​means "to meditate, think, reflect" and is also a true poetic form, an elegiac ballad celebrating great heroes, or an epic song that recalled the deeds of the Cossacks. The Trio is certainly one of Dvorak's most beloved works, characterized by a rich variety of themes and an intense emotional expression that reflects the Bohemian musical heritage. With its six-movement structure and a set of dancing, melancholic rhythms, this trio offers a splendid example of Dvořák's chamber music.

The program continues with two adaptations of Wagner's operas: the Prelude from Tristan und Isolde, arranged by R. Glerup, which represents a true celebration of romantic tension and Wagnerian harmony in a new and intimate form; and the Wesendonck Lieder, arranged by A. Bonardi for voice and string quartet. These pieces, initially composed for voice and piano, are a magnificent example of Wagner's lyricism and musical language, enriched by the timbre of the string quartet.

This concert therefore, which presents an "impossible" encounter between Dvořák and Wagner, expresses all the beauty and complexity of two distinct but equally fascinating musical worlds.

With Silvia Cafiero (soprano), Matteo Bevilacqua (piano), Roma Tre Orchestra String Ensemble.

Photo credits: courtesy of Carlo Bilotti Museum Aranciera of Villa Borghese official site