The joy of playing, the ability to move effortlessly between even opposing musical genres, such as Verdi's arias and early twentieth-century jazz. The spirit of (excellent) music and lyric poetry that has imbued the Abbabula festival for 27 years was perfectly captured by the final concert: last night in Piazza Moretti in Sassari, a standing ovation and a call for a proper encore (in addition to the one scheduled) for pianist Raphael Gualazzi and the Ente de Carolis Orchestra.
A keyboard acrobat with echoes of Renato Carosone and a knack for playful piano playing, Friulian Raphael Gualazzi began with "Jameson's Lament" and "Mare in Luce," accompanied by Anders Ulrich on double bass and Gianluca Nanni on drums. After "Love Outside the Window," he introduced Maestro Stefano Nanni, who handled the arrangements and conducted the strings of the Ente de Carolis Lyric-Symphonic Orchestra, a perfect match for Theme 2 from Pupi Avati's film "Un ragazzo d'oro."
Ballad, ragtime, and even opera, with a jazzy transformation of two Verdi arias, one from Il Trovatore and the other from La Traviata. Gualazzi even took up the ukulele for the cover of "Dos Gardenias." The divertissement was complete, even in the lyrics, with "L'Italià," with its final accent, where he hurls barbs at a French politician who had lectured Italy on immigration. And the piece was chosen for the acclaimed encore after the standing ovation, partly to better appreciate Danilo Rossi's virtuosity on the viola.
Tonight we'll be back at Neoneli at 10pm thanks to the synergy between the Le Ragazze Terribili Cooperative and the Dromos Festival
