 L’Ensemble Roma Sinfonietta (les solistes les plus aguerris du Roma Sinfonietta Orchestra), dirigé par le compositeur lui-même, se fait un plaisir de hit-parade en rassemblant ici 16 "chansons pop" (populaires, célèbres, accessibles – même si raffinées) aux partitions, instrumentales, signées Marcello Panni comme un hommage aux mélodies éternelles du patrimoine musical – on pense immédiatement aux "Folk Songs" de Luciano Berio (écrites pour sa muse et compagne Cathy Berberian), avec lequel Panni a régulièrement collaboré, au point de développer une amitié bien ancrée. Si l’on reconnaît les airs desquels démarre le compositeur (tous ont bercé notre enfance radiophonique à un moment ou un autre), Marcello Panni met la finesse de son écriture au service d’une réinterprétation qui propulse chaque instrument du septuor (violon, clarinette, basson, trompette, trombone, contrebasse percussions), ses caractéristiques de timbre et sa capacité mélodique, vers une nouvelle mise en lumière de l’héritage des Rossini, Verdi, Haendel et autre Gershwin. (Bernard Vincken) The term Popsongs is a blend of the two English words popular (meaning both “popular” and “celebrated”) and songs, emphasizing the intention to combine accessibility with the elegance of refined compositional forms. This collection of sixteen instrumental pieces, composed by Marcello Panni between 2013 and 2015 during his tenure as conductor of the “Tito Schipa” Symphony Orchestra in Lecce for the group of soloists Ensemble del Sud, represents a passionate and playful homage to the most celebrated melodies of Italian musical tradition, both operatic and folk. This project stands out not only for the exceptional artistic quality of its orchestration but also for its ability to pay tribute to and draw inspiration from the illustrious precedents of 20th-century musical history. An essential reference is Luciano Berio’s (1925-2003) Folk Songs, composed in 1964, with whom Panni was a close friend and collaborator for many years. This cycle of pieces, created for the singer Cathy Berberian (1925-1983), Berio’s muse and spouse, was accompanied by a group of seven instruments, the “Juilliard Ensemble” from New York, with which Panni himself collaborated in the 1970s. Another point of reference for the Popsongs is Igor Stravinsky’s (1882-1971) famous Histoire du Soldat. This composition, also written for a septet (violin, double bass, clarinet, bassoon, cornet, trombone, and percussion, the same ensemble used by Panni), represents an extraordinary example of chamber music that combines storytelling, theatricality, and a remarkable fusion of musical styles.
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