America Claudio Constantini

• George Gershwin (1898 - 1937): Rhapsody in Blue:
• 1 Rhapsody in Blue (Version for Piano) 16:06
• 3 Preludes:
• 2 3 Preludes: No. 1 in B-Flat Major. Allegro ben ritmato e deciso 01:49
• 3 3 Preludes: No. 2 in C-Sharp Minor. Andante con moto e poco rubato 04:15
• 4 3 Preludes: No. 3 in E-Flat Minor. Allegro ben ritmato e deciso 01:20
• Claudio Constantini (b. 1983): Summertime Variations:
• 5 Summertime Variations: Thema 01:30
• 6 Summertime Variations: Var. 1 01:02
• 7 Summertime Variations: Var. 2 01:00
• 8 Summertime Variations: Var. 3 01:04
• 9 Summertime Variations: Var. 4 00:41
• 10 Summertime Variations: Var. 5 00:58
• 11 Summertime Variations: Var. 6 01:07
• 12 Summertime Variations: Var. 7 01:45
• 13 Summertime Variations: Var. 8 01:36
• 14 Summertime Variations: Var. 9 01:29
• 15 Summertime Variations: Coda 02:38
• Ástor Piazzolla (1921 - 1992): Las 4 Estaciones Porteñas (Arr. C. Constantini for Piano):
• 16 Las 4 Estaciones Porteñas (Arr. C. Constantini for Piano): II. Verano Porteño 06:17
• 17 Las 4 Estaciones Porteñas (Arr. C. Constantini for Piano): III. Otoño Porteño 07:27
• 18 Las 4 Estaciones Porteñas (Arr. C. Constantini for Piano): IV. Invierno Porteño 08:09
• 19 Las 4 Estaciones Porteñas (Arr. C. Constantini for Piano): I. Primavera Porteña 06:20
• Tango Ballet (Arr. C. Constantini for Piano):
• 20 Tango Ballet (Arr. C. Constantini for Piano): I. Títulos 01:14
• 21 Tango Ballet (Arr. C. Constantini for Piano): II. La Calle 01:23
• 22 Tango Ballet (Arr. C. Constantini for Piano): III. Encuentro - Olvido 03:39
• 23 Tango Ballet (Arr. C. Constantini for Piano): IV. Cabaret 01:27
• 24 Tango Ballet (Arr. C. Constantini for Piano): V. Soledad 02:55
• 25 Tango Ballet (Arr. C. Constantini for Piano): VI. La Calle 01:40
• Claudio Constantini: Tardecita Pampeana:
• 26 Tardecita Pampeana 01:27
• Total Runtime 01:20:18

Info for America

Towards the end of the 19th century, two great cosmopolitan cities developed with identical characteristics in opposite corners of the vast American continent. In these cities, two characteristically urban musical genres were born produced by the melting pot of European immigrants, creoles, African slaves and people native to the land. When jazz (which emerged from European salon music together with ragtime rhythms, blues and spirituals) arrived to New York, it met indigenous melodies, religious chants, Anglo-Celtic ballads and cowboy songs from the old west, all of which would sum up the essence of North American music. On the other hand, in Buenos Aires (which had recently been elected as the capital city of Argentina), a style of danceable song was born in which one can trace influences coming from Andalutian flamenco, south Italian melodies, Cuban habanera, candombe and African percussion, Spanish contradanza and the milonga or the rural music from Argentina. Both styles breathed an air of nostalgia which bore memories of remote places, times of despair and of hope for a better life. Both are considered popular, they belong to simple people from the countryside who created them and witnessed their birth. Both of our authors, Gershwin and Piazzolla, mantained parallel lives with partially self-taught education. When they aspired to match their works to those of what is known as classical music, they both aimed at Paris to complete their education. In both cases they were encouraged to follow their own path, their own style in which their intuition wouldn´t be minimized by formalisms or rules which could have resulted as counterproductive. Both were extroverts, with a magnetic personality, full of vitality, enthusiasm and a fine sense of humour. However, deep inside they were somehow shy, insecure and sometimes even suffered from depression, all of which perfectly explain the contrasts in their happy and festive creations with the melancholic roots of deep solitude and suffering that subtly flourish in their immortal compositions. (José Manuel Baena)

Claudio Constantini, piano

Claudio Constantini
holds an international and multi-faceted career as a performer of two instruments, the piano and the bandoneón, as well as being a composer in demand. Born and raised in Lima (Perú) into a musician´s family, Constantini´s unique style is defined by its solid classical roots paired with a passion for popular music genres, among which Latin American music and Jazz/fusion play a key role. Constantini has performed in many major halls such as the Berlin Philharmonic, the Vienna Konzerthaus, the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, the Barcelona Palau de la Música Catalana, the Los Angeles Opera, among many others, and has performed at over 30 countries around the world. He has released a total of 5 CD albums, all of which have received great international reception. Together with the IBS Label (Spain) he is recording the complete piano Works of Claude Debussy, of which he has already released two albums (the first volume was selected among the 10 best albums of the year 2015 by Fanfare magazine, USA). He has also collaborated in over a dozen productions for various artists. Constantini has been invited to teach masterclasses at several institutions in Europe and abroad. He organizes the yearly “Primavera Pianistica” masterclasses and competition in Belgium, aimed at young pianists who wish to develop their artistry further. He initiated his piano studies with his father (Gerardo Constantini) and later received his bachelor´s degree in Finland, his master´s degree in The Netherlands, and finally the diplome de concert in Paris, all of which earned him the highest distinctions. He was a pupil of Aquiles Delle Vigne.

Booklet for America