The Italian Embassy and Italian Cultural Institute in Jakarta presented the ‘900 Neapolitan music concert performed by Il Gran Duo Italiano for the first time in Indonesia. The duo, consisted of Mauro Tortotelli on violin and Angela Meluso on piano, played a few classical compositions as well as one surprise number for the Indonesian audience.
The sound of violin and piano filled the Soehanna Hall, Jakarta, and encaptured the audience for a full hour on a Thursday night, 1 September 2022. A few days before that, the duo gave a workshop and a masterclass to the students of Yogyakarta State University, and performed there as well. The playlist covered compositions by Francesco Santoliquido, Emilia Gubitosi, Gaetano Fusella and Alfredo D’Ambrosio. These compositions were documented in the world’s first music record. Selected composers testified that a Neapolitan music school in early 900’s had a profound artistry especially in musicology.
In 2010, Il Grand Duo Italiano rediscovered the record. The rediscovery then led to so many opportunities of introducing it to the world. They studied it, made a catalog of it, and recorded a manuscript of a Neapolitan Maestro into a CD labeled Tactus, which received positive reviews from the public, media and critics. They then also rediscovered and documented the first records of other Italian composers like Mario Castelnuovo Tedesco and Rosario Scalero.
In 2011 the duo received a Premio del Mediterranio award from the President of EU for the research and rediscovery on musicology and musical heritage. Just last year, they received a Premio alla Carriera from Universum International Academy Switzerland. And they have performed in prestigious halls around the world including the Carnegie Hall in New York, Munetsugu Hall in Nagoya and Gasteig in Monaco.
The Italian Cultural Institute agenda is packed with interesting activities that sparks creativity and enriches knowledge. Watch for them and check the schedule on their website or social media.