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Interview with Andrea Bacchetti

From Haydn to Mozart, with the enthusiasm of youth

This month, we are pleased to attach the fifth recording for Suonare News from one of our readers' favorites, Andrea Bacchetti. Accompanied by the Orchestra Giovanile della Svizzera Italiana, consisting of about fifty musicians, almost all minors, under the direction of Venezuelan conductor Yuram Ruiz, the Ligurian artist presents two masterpieces for piano and orchestra by the two geniuses of Classicism. «This ensemble sounds fantastic; they've impressed me and made me feel like a child again»

by Filippo Michelangeli - photo by Stefania VARCA

Andrea Bacchetti, 47 years old, from Recco, Genoa. A prodigious talent, he received guidance from Karajan, Berio, Horszowski, and Magaloff at a very young age. He graduated "Master" from the Piano Academy in Imola with Franco Scala. He debuted at 11 years old in Milan with the Solisti Veneti conducted by Claudio Scimone. He is also passionately dedicated to chamber music. He records for Sony Classical, and among his extensive discography, notable mentions include Cherubini's Sonatas, The Scarlatti Restored Manuscript, and Bach's Inventions and Sinfonias.

Andrea Bacchetti is a favorite among our readers. The attached CD this month is his fifth recording for Suonare News. A Genoese from Recco, 47 years old, Andrea Bacchetti was a child prodigy, recognized and admired by Herbert von Karajan, who offered him valuable advice and a scholarship. Since then, he has had a career that has taken him around the world, garnering great public and critical acclaim.
A strong advocate for the importance of disseminating classical music beyond traditional circuits, he has courageously brought his art to very popular television broadcasts, alongside Piero Chiambretti and performing with pop artists. Despite the success and maturity he enjoys today, he has maintained that childlike and lighthearted spirit that makes his interpretations - especially when tackling the Baroque repertoire, his adored Bach, harpsichordists, and the Classicism of the 18th century - full of light and infused with an Apollonian spirit.
In the attached CD, he presents two masterpieces for piano and orchestra: Mozart's Concerto in C minor No. 24 and Haydn's Concerto in D major No. 11, performed with the Orchestra Giovanile della Svizzera Italiana under the direction of Venezuelan Yuram Ruiz.

For the readers of Suonare News, he is a beloved figure: the CD attached to this issue is his fifth recording. What does it mean today, in the age of the web and "liquid" music, to record an album?
It's true that we are in the digital era, but I grew up in the vinyl age and even witnessed audio enthusiasts' doubts when CDs arrived. You can imagine why I still have a need for physical media. I have over 1,500 CDs and continue to buy them.

In the CD, there are two masterpieces of Classicism: Haydn's Concerto in D major No. 11 and Mozart's in C minor No. 24. How do they differ the most?
Mozart's Concerto No. 24 has a dramatic character, from which Beethoven drew inspiration for his Concerto No. 3. Haydn's one is more Apollonian, although it does not hide a veiled sadness, even in the brilliant Hungarian-style third movement.

In the CD, you are accompanied by the Orchestra Giovanile della Svizzera Italiana: a group of about fifty young musicians, almost all minors, who play exceptionally well, under the direction of Venezuelan Yuram Ruiz. What was it like working with such a young orchestra?
It was very beautiful and interesting. They are kids who play with great enthusiasm. They engage, involve you with their charm and spontaneity, excellently guided by Maestro Ruiz. They made me feel like a child again, when I studied and played in Lucerne with the Festival Strings, led by Rudolf Baumgarten. I had similar wonderful experiences with the young German orchestra Europa Philharmonie in Magdeburg, the Hulencourt Chamber Orchestra in Brussels, and the Senzaspine Orchestra in Bologna, as well as with the Arrigoni Academy of Arts in San Vito al Tagliamento.

You were a enfant prodige, admired by legendary conductor Herbert von Karajan. How does grow up a child who knows he is "special," with a great musical talent?
I lived those years normally. I rode my bike, swam in Camogli, played soccer (as a goalkeeper). As an Inter fan, my idol was Zenga, whom I later met. I did not realize. Everything came naturally to me. My relationships with my classmates were excellent. I was just like them and studied both piano and school subjects.

You are well known to the general public for his appearances on popular television shows with Piero Chiambretti. The public has appreciated this, yet in academic circles, television appearances are considered something too popular, even blasphemous. What is your response?
Music is universal. It has no age, it has no time. I had the honor of performing live with artists like Venditti, Vanoni, Pausini, and Emma. These experiences opened up a new universe for me, which has served me well. It inspired my recent recital project "From Bach to Chiambretti: four centuries of music on television", which I am performing across Italy. It is gaining success precisely because of this "contamination," recounted through performances that juxtapose the great classical repertoire - from Bach, Mozart, Schubert, Liszt, Chopin - to historic international themes, great movie soundtracks, and classic jazz, which, arranged personally, allowed me to bring "cultured music" to television, which is quite rare outside dedicated channels, thus reaching and being appreciated by an audience often distant from that repertoire.

Almost all Italian concert musicians have positions at conservatories: a security and economic stability that we saw was essential during the pandemic. Why have you always said no to teaching?
As you can see, I love to perform. Even though I'm very nervous before concerts, I cherish the audience that transforms, enriches, and generates emotion in every performance. The synergy with the orchestra, the conductor, the soloists, the chamber music. They help you grow, absorb their thoughts, compare them with your own, and fully "experience" music. But I also enjoy studying a lot, "continuously", because I feel the need, as Karajan used to tell me, to imagine as much as possible what each musical phrase can give us.

You played chamber music with many renowned musicians, as well as young colleagues. Would you like to share any anecdotes that have impressed you or situations that have particularly excited you?
There are many episodes to recount. I believe the most relevant is my study and working relationship with Luciano Berio, especially since 2025 will mark the centenary of his birth. My encounter with the Maestro (he insists it be written with a capital "M") occurred in the summer of 1989 when I was 12 years old, in Salzburg during my concert for the "Preisträger der Internationalen Sommerakademie Mozarteum Salzburg" (which I attended thanks to the scholarship granted to me by Karajan). From that "magical" moment until his untimely passing in 2003, he was one of the fundamental points of my musical education. A "unique" experience. We worked together from Bach to the present day, exploring the entire history of music.

Those were the exciting years of your education...
Yes, I was studying composition, and he guided me, correcting my assignments with advice that was valuable not only at the time but for all time, even today... I had the honor of performing with him present, from the Museo della Scala, to the Amici della Musica in Florence, to the International Festival of Brescia and Bergamo (the Folk Songs with Luisa Castellani) and alongside him in broadcasts, television interviews, up to the recording at the International Piano Academy of Imola - under his guidance and in the presence of Maestro Franco Scala - of the "Berio Piano Works" CD published by Decca and recorded in 2000/2001. This performance was always especially appreciated by the Maestro, who defined it as the authentic interpretation of his thoughts because it was developed over the years under his guidance. In consideration of the centenary of his birth, I have created a program centered around my musical experience and Berio's philosophy, which I believe I have absorbed well, having had the honor of working with him for so many years. I will perform this, among other things, at the Teatro Nuovo in Udine on March 26, 2025, and in other venues still being finalized