“Double paraphrase for voice and piano” by Azio Corghi.

Maestro Azio Corghi (Casa Ricordi) will present for the very first time, his interpretation of the meta-libretto of the Verdi opera,  Nabucco, by Vittorio Sermonti.  


The opera was commissioned by the Arena of Verona for the first edition of “Verona Contemporanea”, that will be held in three different appointments at the Cortile Mercato vecchio (Old Market Court).  “Riraccontare verdi”, this is the title used by Vittorio Sermonti to narrate and interpret the plots of three famous Verdi written operas - Nabucco, La Traviata and Aida,, music scores specifically commissioned by the Arena Foundation to composers Azio Corghi, Michele Dall'Ongaro, Matteo d'Amico.



How to interpret, through piano writing, the meta-libretto of the Verdi opera Nabucco, by Vittorio Sermonti?

First of all, by accepting the amusing and witty introductory “interpretation”.  Starting from the astonishing biographical information on  Temistocle Solera, the author goes all the way to the hagiographical news regarding how the opera was created.  The narration of the various scenes then becomes dramaturgical and a poetic-literary reflection comes about on the original operas, giving way to the possibility of a musical meta-collaboration.

In answering to the first question, I consider my interpretation a form of musical “counter-subject”.  In other words, I tried to set up the poetic-literary “virtuoism” of the original text against autonomous piano writing, which, in any case, was supported by a same type of “virtuosity”.  The result was this compositional idea that is not limited to underlining the literary text, even though it paraphrases various Verdi themes.

Azio Corghi
April 2007
The text by Vittorio Sermonti is taken from:
Sempreverdi
14 operas in story form
Rizzoli – Collana: Saggi