The 20th century was a century of anathemas and radical stances in favour of this or that style. The works of these four authors still speak of innocence, of confidence in the solidity of a world that can keep its balance. The grace of their emotions, in no way grandiose or clamorous, reflect Europe’s nostalgia, and it is for this reason that they summarise the history of 20th century “side alleys” music.

The four works recorded here have in common the fact that they are on the margins of the beaten path, belonging to the “side alleys” of the history of music. As Stefan Zweig said, these works look at “yesterday’s world”. Their dates of composition are rather significant: 1900, when Pierné’s Sonata was written, was marked by great enthusiasm for Paris’s Universal Expo; in 1919, while a wounded Europe strained to bounce back, Karg-Elert returned from the war to resume his musical profession and wrote his Suite Pointillistique; in 1926, as a very young Pilati composed his Sonata per flauto e pianoforte, Fascism had already seized power and thick clouds were gathering on the horizon; 1985, finally, was the year of composition of Jean-Michel Damase’s Variations, in which he glimpses at the carefree Europe of an unspecified time, an idyllic time before the wars destroyed the faith in culture and its invulnerability.

Bruno Canino was born in Naples and studied piano and composition at the Conservatory of Milan. As a soloist and chamber performer he has appeared at the most important European festivals and concert halls, as well as in America, Canada, Japan, China, Malaysia, Russia, South America, Australia and New Zealand. He collaborates with famous performers and with the greatest orchestras. Dedicated to contemporary music, he has collaborated with many composers, among them Boulez, Berio, Stockhausen, Ligeti, Maderna, Nono and Bussotti. He has taught piano at the Conservatory of Milan for twenty-four years and at Bern’s Musikhochschule for eleven years.

Ginevra Petrucci was born in Rome in 1989 and attended Rome’s Santa Cecilia Conservatory, furthering her studies at Paris’s École Normale and at Yale University in the USA. She is an active concert performer and has appeared at important festivals as well as in many of the most prestigious venues in Europe, America and Asia, collaborating with artists and chamber ensembles of international renown. She has been invited to teach at numerous Conservatories and Academies in Europe and in Asia and, as a promoter of contemporary music, has collaborated with several composers of international renown.