NINO ROTA (1911–1979)

COMPLETE SOLO PIANO WORKS • 1

ELEANOR HODGKINSON

‘My introduction to the concert music of Nino Rota initially came through performing his trio for piano, cello and clarinet. There are few works written for this combination of instruments and I was interested in the trio’s unusual mixture of evocative melody lines, driving rhythms and striking harmonic colours. Whilst I was familiar with some of Rota’s iconic film scores, I was unaware there was a substantial body of piano works, some only recently published. The piano pieces show a different side to Rota; it is wonderful to perform them to the surprised delight of audiences who only know the screen music.’ – Eleanor Hodgkinson

WATCH THE VIDEO TRAILER
ROTA, N.: 15 Preludes / Fantasia in G Major / 7 Pezzi difficili per bambini
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NINO ROTA

About this Recording

Nino Rota (1911–1979) embraced neo-Classical, neo-Romantic and even neo-Baroque affiliations. His music prized melodic directness and communicative generosity and it is not therefore surprising that he should be best known for his epochal film scores – the music for The Godfather pre-eminently.

Nino Rota’s 15 Preludes utilise melodic and harmonic explorations to chart music that is agitated and melancholic, but also joyous and comedic. The Fantasia in G comprises seven themes – folkloric, droll and ultimately heroic. A late work, the 7 Pezzi difficili per bambini is generous in its emotional directness.

15 PRELUDES (1964) (28:20)
1
No. 1. Allegro molto (01:43)
2
No. 2. Allegro ma espressivo e delicato (01:41)
3
No. 3. Allegretto con spirito (01:26)
4
No. 4. Andante sostenuto ed espressivo (01:53)
5
No. 5. Con impeto (02:13)
6
No. 6. Andante (01:57)
7
No. 7. Allegro con spirito (01:30)
8
No. 8. Lento con accento (02:16)
9
No. 9. Allegretto quasi andantino (01:41)
10
No. 10. Allegro mosso e marcato (01:10)
11
No. 11. Andante senza lentezza (02:39)
12
No. 12. Allegro (01:56)
13
No. 13. Andante cantabile (02:23)
14
No. 14. Allegro non troppo e marcato (01:44)
15
No. 15. Allegro robusto (01:28)
16
FANTASIA IN G (1944–45) (16:32)
7 PEZZI DIFFICILI PER BAMBINI
(‘7 DIFFICULT PIECES FOR CHILDREN’) (1971) (12:28)
17
No. 1. Salti e giochi (‘Skips and Games’) (01:00)
18
No. 2. Capriccio (’Caprice’) (01:12)
19
No. 3. Cantilena (‘Lullaby’) (02:40)
20
No. 4. Le scalette (‘Little Scales’) (01:50)
21
No. 5. Grillo notturno (‘Cricket in the Night’) (01:33)
22
No. 6. Puccettino nella giungla (‘Puccettino in the Jungle’) (02:09)
23
No. 7. L’acrobata (‘The Acrobat’) (01:46)

TOTAL TIME: 57:36

Listen to an excerpt from
15 Preludes: No. 14. Allegro non troppo e marcato
Eleanor Hodgkinson

ELEANOR HODGKINSON

Pianist Eleanor Hodgkinson divides her time between performing, teaching, examining and writing. A versatile chamber musician, she has been part of numerous collaborations and given many premieres of British music. Notable partnerships include those with the Villiers Quartet, cellist Nick Stringfellow and pianist Jakob Fichert. Solo recital work has taken her to North America, Denmark, Holland, Germany and France. Hodgkinson studied piano at the Royal Northern College of Music with Renna Kellaway before specialising in piano accompaniment as a postgraduate student with Carole Presland. Based in Leicestershire, Hodgkinson is a senior lecturer in piano at Leeds College of Music and teaches piano and chamber music at the Junior Department of the Royal Academy of Music.

www.eleanorhodgkinson.co.uk
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