Short Cuts: 50 Piano Pieces Antonio Ballista

• Jean-Philippe Rameau
• 1Suite in G Major: IV. La Poule03:05
• Johann Sebastian BachJohann Sebastian Bach
• 2Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, BWV 14703:50
• Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1809):
• 3Allegretto in G Major, Hob: VII:1002:05
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791):
• 4Marche Funèbre Del Sig.R Maestro Contrapunto in C Minor, K. 453A02:00
• Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827):
• 5Bagatelle in C Major, WoO 54 "Lustig-Traurig"01:59
• Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828):
• 6Waltz in G Major, D.84401:13
• Carl Czerny (1791 - 1857):
• 7Bear Dance, Op. 3501:09
• Gioacchino Rossini (1792 - 1868):
• 8Prélude from Péchés De Vieillesse, Vol. XIII Musique Anodine02:00
• Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856):
• 9Theme in E-Flat Major, Rsw: Nh:F3901:39
• Frédéric Chopin (1810 - 1849):
• 10Prélude in A-Flat Major, B.8600:59
• Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897):
• 11Sarabande in A Minor WoO 5/101:45
• Franz Liszt (1811 - 1886):
• 12Bagatelle Sans Tonalite, S.216A03:10
• Giuseppe Verdi (1813 - 1901):
• 13Waltz in F Major01:52
• Richard Wagner (1813 - 1883):
• 14Albumblatt02:24
• Camille Saint-Saëns (1835 - 1921):
• 15Le Carnaval Des Animaux: XIII. Le Cygnet02:49
• Charles Gounod (1818 - 1893):
• 16Marche Funèbre D'une Marionette, Cg 58303:08
• Jules Massenet (1842 - 1912):
• 1710 Pièces De Genre, Op. 10: V. Mélodie02:17
• Emmanuel Chabrier (1841 - 1894):
• 18Ballabile01:37
• Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840 - 1893):
• 19Berceuse: Andante Mosso from 18 Morceaux, Op. 8703:05
• Gabriel Fauré (1845 - 1924):
• 208 Pièces Brèves, Op. 84: VII. Allégresse02:02
• Edvard Grieg (1843 - 1907):
• 21Lyric Pieces, Op. 12: I. Arietta01:36
• Georges Bizet (1838 - 1875):
• 22Scènes Bohémiennes: IV. Danse Bohémienne03:34
• Leopold Godowsky (1870 - 1938):
• 23Triakontameron: XI. Alt Wien02:39
• Alexander Scriabin (1872 - 1915):
• 243 Pieces, Op. 45: III. Poème Fantasque00:28
• Manuel de Falla (1876 - 1946):
• 25El Sombrero De Tres Picos: V. Danza Del Molinero02:19
• Claude Debussy (1862 - 1918):
• 26D'un Cahier D'esquisses. Très Lent04:24
• Darius Milhaud (1892 - 1974):
• 27Saudades Do Brasil, Op. 67: V. Ipanema01:53
• George Jacob Gershwin (1898 - 1937):
• 28Promenade in C Major02:58
• Maurice Ravel (1875 - 1937):
• 29Prélude, M.6501:29
• Igor Stravinsky (1882 - 1971):
• 30Piano-Rag-Music03:33
• Giacomo Puccini (1858 - 1924):
• 31Foglio D'album in B-Flat Major, Sc 8101:49
• Francis Poulenc (1899 - 1963):
• 32Mouvement Perpétuel No. 1, Fp 1401:37
• Paul Hindemith (1895 - 1963):
• 33Suite Für Klavier, Op. 26: V. Ragtime03:13
• Sergei Prokofiev (1891 - 1953):
• 34The Love for Three Oranges, Op. 33b: III. March01:47
• Olivier Messiaen (1908 - 1992):
• 35Préludes: III. Le Nombre Léger02:24
• Karl Heinz Stockhausen (1928 - 2007):
• 36Klavierstück III00:25
• Jean Françaix (1912 - 1997):
• 37III. Hommage À Domenico Scarlatti01:53
• La Monte Young (b. 1935):
• 38Composition 1960 #700:43
• Niccolò Castiglioni (1932 - 1996):
• 39Come Io Passo L'Estate: Vi. La Fontanella Di Ganna00:37
• Morton Feldman (1926 - 1987):
• 40Intermission 601:56
• Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887 - 1959):
• 41A Prole Do Bebê, Book I: VII. O Polichinelo02:03
• Paolo Castaldi (b. 1930):
• 42Caro Babbo00:56
• György Ligeti (1923 - 2006):
• 43Allegro Con Spirito01:19
• John Cage (1912 - 1992):
• 44Totem Ancestor for Prepared Piano02:27
• Luciano Berio (1925 - 2003):
• 45Erdenklavier01:51
• John Adams (b. 1947):
• 46China Gates05:11
• Bruno Canino (b. 1935):
• 47Un Microritratto01:06
• Salvatore Sciarrino (b. 1947):
• 48Anamorfosi01:53
• Alessandro Lucchetti (b. 1958):
• 49The Grey Veil02:45
• George Crumb (b. 1929):
• 50Makrokosmos, Vol. II: VII. Tora! Tora! Tora!02:30
• Total Runtime01:47:26

Info for Short Cuts: 50 Piano Pieces

A special and intriguing concept: ultra-short (one minute plus) piano pieces by 50 composers, encompassing 3 centuries, starting with Rameau and ending with Sciarrino, Crumb, Ligeti and Berio. Much can be said with few words, and so much can be expressed in a few notes; some composers struggled with large forms but could say a deep truth in one page.

Italian pianist Antonio Ballista colourful career includes the great classical repertoire, but he has also explored worlds such as those of ragtime, Italian and American popular songs, rock, and soundtrack music for the cinema. He has worked with Abbado, Bertini, Boulez, Brüggen, Chailly, Maderna and Muti, and played with orchestras such as BBC Symphony, the Concertgebouw, Israel Philharmonic, Filarmonica della Scala, Wiener Philharmoniker, l’Orchestre de Paris, Philadelphia Orchestra, London Symphony, and New York Philharmonic. Composers who wrote for him include Berio, Bussotti, Donatoni, Sciarrino and others.

Antonio Ballista, piano

Antonio Ballista
is a musician with a strong intolerance to all kinds of conventions and routines. His curiosity has no limits, so that he likes to perform a big variety of musical expressions, without making aesthetical discriminations among the different styles of the music he plays, as he considers music as a whole.

According to this philosophy, Antonio has realized his artistic way playing side by side both intellectual and consumer music. His musical programs include very unlike styles as: Classical music, Ragtime, Italian and American songs, Rock, Film sound tracks. His original and personal interpretations – sometimes realized also with theatrical appearances – establish important elements to enlarge the concert’s normal features.

From 1953 he has played in a piano Duo with Bruno Canino. The Duo started on a successful career which has continued to date without interruptions. The performances of the duo in the field of the contemporary music have an historical value: their presence was fundamental for the spread of new works and for the catalyst influence over many composers.

Antonio has played under the leading of C. Abbado, P. Boulez , R. Chailly, B. Maderna, R. Muti, with important international orchestras, such as BBC Orchestra, Concertgebouw, Israel Philarmonic, Filarmonica della Scala, London Simphony, Orchestre de Paris, Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philarmonic, as well as very important Festivals: Paris Festival, Edimburgh, Warsaw, Berlin, Strasbourg, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Venezia.

As a conductor Ballista, among his several interpretations has realized the première of Gilgamesh by Franco Battiato (Teatro dell’Opera - Roma), as well the performance of the Simphony for 21 pianos by Daniele Lombardi at the Winter Garden in New York. Berio, Bussotti Castaldi, Castiglioni, Donatoni, Lucchetti, Morricone, Mosca, Panni, Picco, Sciarrino, Sollima and Ugoletti have written compositions for him. He has also carried out several tours with Berio, Dallapiccola, Stockhausen, and has performed monographical concerts with Boulez, Cage and Ligeti.

In 1995 Antonio founded the chamber music ensemble “Novecento e oltre” mostly devoted to XX Century Music and to the latest musical tendencies. The Ensemble made his first appearance in Palermo – the concert was organized by EAOSS together to Associazione Siciliana Amici della Musica – where they performed the complete works by Anton Webern, in occasion of the 50th anniversary of the composer’s death. Furthermore, with 4 concerts realized at the Biennale di Venezia, the Ensemble played the complete chamber music by Igor Strawinsky.

In 2003 Antonio, Alessandro Lucchetti and Federico Mondelci founded the trio Fata Morgana, skilled in crossing over various musical styles.

His enthusiasm for the Lieder literature drove him to collaborate with singers as Roberto Abbondanza, Anna Caterina Antonacci, Phillys Bryn-Julson, Monica Bacelli, Cathy Berberian, Luisa Castellani, Gloria Davy, Kim Kriswell, Sarah Leonard, Anna Moffo, Alide Maria Salvetta, Susanna Rigacci, Luciana Serra, Lucia Valentini Terrani, Gemma Bertagnolli, Alda Caiello, Laura Cherici, Lorna Windsor. Besides it is really remarkable his collaboration with actors as Paolo Poli (with a fellowship more then 30 years long), Gianni Agus, Ernesto Calindri, Arnoldo Foà, Ottavia Piccolo, Toni Servillo, Franca Valeri, Milena Vucotic, Peter Ustinov and the dancers Marga Nativo and Elisabetta Terabust.

He has realized a CD discography with RCA, Wergo, EMI, Ricordi, La Bottega Discantica. As piano professor (from 1965 until 1988) he has taught at Conservatorio A. Boito - Parma and furthermore at Conservatorio G. Verdi – Milano; afterwards he has given courses at Accademia Pianistica di Imola / Incontri con il Maestro.

This album contains no booklet.