Adornetto, Daniele
Carlo Albanesi: Piano Sonatas Ii (1905 - 1913)
Carlo Albanesi, a forgotten gem of the Romantic piano tradition, comes to life in this compelling Da Vinci Classics album. Born in Naples in 1856, Albanesi was a pianist and composer whose music, though once celebrated in Londons aristocratic circles, has remained largely in the shadows. A virtuoso performer and a distinguished professor at the Royal Academy of Music, he blended Italian melodic elegance with the technical grandeur of Chopin, Brahms, and Tchaikovsky. This recording showcases two of his finest works: the Piano Sonata in B-flat minor, a bold and expressive piece filled with sweeping octaves, intricate counterpoint, and moments of aching lyricism, and the Piano Sonata No. 6 in C major (1913), his final sonata, where noble themes and dramatic contrasts reveal his mastery of form and expression. Throughout, his music captivates with its seamless fusion of Italian cantabile lines and pianistic brilliance. Albanesis writing demands both strength and subtlety, guiding the listener through virtuosic passages, impassioned climaxes, and tender introspections. This album is more than a rediscovery-it is an invitation to immerse oneself in a composer who, despite his long absence from the concert stage, speaks with a voice as powerful and evocative as ever.