Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco - Piano Quintets (Alessandro Marangoni; Quartetto Adorno)

Information

Composer: Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco

• Piano Quintet No. 1 in F Major, Op. 69
• Piano Quintet No. 2, Op. 155 "Memories of the Tuscan Countryside"

Alessandro Marangoni, piano

Quartetto Adorno

    Edoardo Zosi, violin

    Liù Pelliciari, violin

    Benedetta Bucci, viola

    Francesco Stefanelli, cello

Date: 2026

Label: Naxos

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Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco composed chamber works throughout his career, with notable examples dating from both his early and later periods. He regarded the Piano Quintet No. 1 in F major (1932) as the finest of his chamber compositions of that time, characterized by Romantic sincerity, contrapuntal richness, and vibrant thematic invention within a colorful sound world. The Piano Quintet No. 2 (1951), by contrast, reflects nostalgic memories of serene, rustic Tuscany, offering a more reflective and pastoral atmosphere. A ‘reference-worthy performance’ of the complete string quartets by Quartetto Adorno is also available on Naxos.

Alessandro Marangoni (born 1979) studied piano with Maria Tipo and has won numerous national and international distinctions, including an International Classical Music Award and the Franco Abbiati Prize. He has performed widely across Europe, the Americas, and China as both soloist and chamber musician, collaborating with leading artists such as Daniel Barenboim and Enrico Dindo. Artistic Director of Almo Collegio Borromeo in Pavia and Professor at the Conservatorio Guido Cantelli in Novara, he also works with major music publishers and serves as an ambassador for the International Labour Organization’s “Music against Child Labour” campaign. His extensive discography includes complete piano works of Rossini and Clementi, as well as concertos by Castelnuovo-Tedesco.

Founded in 2015, Quartetto Adorno gained international recognition in 2017 as the first Italian ensemble in 30 years to win three prizes at the XI Premio Paolo Borciani International String Quartet Competition. In 2018 it won the X International Competition “V.E. Rimbotti” and became an associate artist in residence at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, with ongoing support from CIDIM since 2019. The quartet performs at leading venues and festivals across Europe and collaborates with distinguished musicians. Its acclaimed discography includes works by Zemlinsky and Brahms (Decca Italia), Franck and Enescu (Fuga Libera), and Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s complete string quartets (Naxos)