La Recherche Franco Mezzena & Elena Ballario

• César Franck (1822 - 1890): Sonata for Violin and Piano in A major, FWV 8, CFF 123:
• 1 Sonata for Violin and Piano in A major, FWV 8, CFF 123: I. Allegretto ben moderato 06:11
• 2 Sonata for Violin and Piano in A major, FWV 8, CFF 123: II. Allegro 08:24
• 3 Sonata for Violin and Piano in A major, FWV 8, CFF 123: III. Recitativo-Fantasia - Ben moderato 07:37
• 4 Sonata for Violin and Piano in A Major, FWV 8, CFF 123: IV. Allegretto poco mosso 07:00
• Claude Debussy (1862 - 1918): Sonata for Violin and Piano in G minor, L.140:
• 5 Sonata for Violin and Piano in G minor, L.140: I. Allegro vivo 05:05
• 6 Sonata for Violin and Piano in G minor, L.140: II. Intermède - Fantasque et léger 04:27
• 7 Sonata for Violin and Piano in G minor, L.140: III. Finale - Très animé 04:23
• Florent Schmitt (1870 - 1958): Four Pieces for Violin and Piano, Op. 25:
• 8 Four Pieces for Violin and Piano, Op. 25: I. Lied 04:01
• 9 Four Pieces for Violin and Piano, Op. 25: II. Nocturne 03:38
• 10 Four Pieces for Violin and Piano, Op. 25: III. Sérénade 02:18
• 11 Four Pieces for Violin and Piano, Op. 25: IV. Barcarolle 05:06
• Total Runtime 58:10

Info for La Recherche

A sumptuous album of French and Belgian music for violin and piano, performed with unique intimacy and poetry by long-term partners Franco Mezzena and Elena Ballario.

Cesar Franck's Violin Sonata in A is his most celebrated work, a perfect example of cyclical form resulting in music of ardour and spirit, the two protagonists engaged in a lively and exhilarating dialogue that culminates in a thrilling finale. Franck had promised a violin sonata to Cosima Wagner, but it was Eugene Ysaye's request for a wedding piece that finally galvanised him to compose the work. Debussy's Violin Sonata was his last complete composition, written in the shadow of the First World War. The work reflects some of the internal tussle the composer was experiencing during the conflict, but with his characteristic fluidity and nuanced harmonies. Debussy said of the work: "Through a quite humane contradiction, it is full of a joyous tumult." Florent Schmitt was a French composer who absorbed Germanic influences to create a rich and passionate vocabulary. His music has seen a revival in recent years, and his Four Pieces for Violin and Piano encompass a lyrical 'Lied', brooding 'Nocturne', sunny 'Serenade' and remarkably dramatic 'Barcarolle'. Italian musicians Franco Mezzena (violin) and Elena Ballario (piano) have been collaborating for some time, resulting in a performance style of real kinship, warmth and understanding. With Odradek they have also made a superb recording of Schubert's Piano Trios as part of the Mezzena/Patria/Ballario Trio.

Franco Mezzena, violin
Elena Ballario, piano

Franco Mezzena
Graduated “cum laude”, he studied more than 10 years with Salvatore Accardo. As a soloist he is guest of the most important Concert Halls and Festivals in Europe, Japan, South America and U.S.A. He has recently played Mendelssohn Op.64 at Carnegie Hall in New York under the baton of John Rutter.

He has been many times on tour with “I Musici” and “I Virtuosi di Roma” and performed together with celebrated artists as Salvatore Accardo, Julius Berger, Umberto Cafagna, Bruno Canino, Roberto Fabbriciani, Rocco Filippini, Severino Gazzelloni, Stefano Giavazzi, Bruno Giuranna, Johannes Goritzki, Nicholas Jones, Jacques Klein, Alain Meunier, for many years with Bruno Mezzena, Andrea Noferini, Anthony Pay, Franco Petracchi, Ruggiero Ricci, Hariolf Schlichtig, Rohan de Saram, Romeo Tudorache, etc. Concerts for: RAI Radiotelevisione Italiana, Radio Vaticana, BBC, ABC, NBC, WSKG, WGBH Boston, NHK Television Japan, KBS Corea, etc.

Franco Mezzena is world famous for a lot of CDs and DVDs (more than 80) he recorded for Luna Rossa Records, Brilliant Classics, Newton Classics, Wide Classique, Dynamic, Symposium, Rivo Alto, Nuova Era, E.M.S. Arcobaleno. He recorded for Dynamic label, the complete concertos for violin and orchestra by G.B. Viotti (10 CDs), where he appears as soloist and conductor of the “Symphonia Perusina” and the Chamber Orchestra “Milano Classica”. He has recorded, for Wide Classique label, the complete works for Piano and Violin by L. van Beethoven with the pianist Stefano Giavazzi. Brilliant reviews and many interviews on: The Strad, Fanfare Magazine, American Record Guide, New York Times, Gramophone, Diapason, FonoForum etc. He gives Master Classes in his country (Conservatory of Mantua, S. Antioco, “Musica Riva”, Alghero, Naples, Messina, Taranto etc.) and abroad (Royal College of Music, Trinity College of Music – London, Chetham’s School of Music – Manchester, Hochschule “F. Mendelssohn-Bartholdy” – Leipzig, Conservatory of Rotterdam, Académié d’été d’Andé, Tokyo University, Osaka, Kyushu, Barcelona, Oxford University, Ticino Musica Festival etc.).

He plays in Duo with the violinist Patrizia Bettotti.

He has conducted the Lublijana Symphony Orchestra, the Pescara Symphony Orchestra, the “Teatro Regio of Turin” Symphony Orchestra, the “Milano Classica” Chamber Orchestra, the “Interpreti Italiani” Chamber Orchestra, the Jalisco Philarmonic Orchestra etc.

He plays a 1695 Stradivarius, an instrument by Roberto Regazzi (Bologna, 1998), one violin made by Giuseppe Leone (Ceglie Messapica, 2011) and two violins made by Giovanni Osvaldo Fiori (Treviso 1989 and 2020). Franco Mezzena plays on strings DOGAL Capriccio Soloist.

He is Artistic Director of Orchestra da Camera di Lecce e del Salento.

Founder of Mezzena Quartet with Marcello Defant, Gianpaolo Guattèri and Sergio Patria.

Founder of Trio Mezzena-Patria-Ballario with Sergio Patria and Elena Ballario.

He holds an annual course in Violin and Chamber Music at the Ariadimusica Academy in Rome.

This album contains no booklet.