Cellist Mario Brunello rose to international prominence in 1986 when he won the prestigious Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow, becoming the first Italian to receive this distinguished honour. Since then, he has remained at the forefront of the world’s most sought-after soloists, distinguished not only by his artistry but also by his inquisitive and adventurous spirit, which led him to explore the rare and fascinating violoncello piccolo.
Often described as the “lost tenor” of the violin family, the violoncello piccolo, owing to its construction and range, is capable of assuming the role of either violin or cello. Johann Sebastian Bach himself made use of the instrument in several of his cantatas.
This year, Mario Brunello completes the ambitious artistic project he began at Megaron the Athens Concert Hall last season: to perform all of Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin — landmark works in both the violin repertoire and Baroque music as a whole — on the violoncello piccolo. As Brunello himself remarks, “The violin reaches the summit from the bright southern side; the violoncello piccolo climbs from the dark northern side, yet the mountain remains the same.”
The eagerly awaited sequel to last year’s highly successful appearance promises another remarkable musical experience.
