Short Cuts: 50 Piano Pieces Antonio Ballista

• Jean-Philippe Rameau
• 1 Suite in G Major: IV. La Poule 03:05
• Johann Sebastian BachJohann Sebastian Bach
• 2 Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, BWV 147 03:50
• Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1809):
• 3 Allegretto in G Major, Hob: VII:10 02:05
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791):
• 4 Marche Funèbre Del Sig.R Maestro Contrapunto in C Minor, K. 453A 02:00
• Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827):
• 5 Bagatelle in C Major, WoO 54 "Lustig-Traurig" 01:59
• Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828):
• 6 Waltz in G Major, D.844 01:13
• Carl Czerny (1791 - 1857):
• 7 Bear Dance, Op. 35 01:09
• Gioacchino Rossini (1792 - 1868):
• 8 Prélude from Péchés De Vieillesse, Vol. XIII Musique Anodine 02:00
• Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856):
• 9 Theme in E-Flat Major, Rsw: Nh:F39 01:39
• Frédéric Chopin (1810 - 1849):
• 10 Prélude in A-Flat Major, B.86 00:59
• Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897):
• 11 Sarabande in A Minor WoO 5/1 01:45
• Franz Liszt (1811 - 1886):
• 12 Bagatelle Sans Tonalite, S.216A 03:10
• Giuseppe Verdi (1813 - 1901):
• 13 Waltz in F Major 01:52
• Richard Wagner (1813 - 1883):
• 14 Albumblatt 02:24
• Camille Saint-Saëns (1835 - 1921):
• 15 Le Carnaval Des Animaux: XIII. Le Cygnet 02:49
• Charles Gounod (1818 - 1893):
• 16 Marche Funèbre D'une Marionette, Cg 583 03:08
• Jules Massenet (1842 - 1912):
• 17 10 Pièces De Genre, Op. 10: V. Mélodie 02:17
• Emmanuel Chabrier (1841 - 1894):
• 18 Ballabile 01:37
• Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840 - 1893):
• 19 Berceuse: Andante Mosso from 18 Morceaux, Op. 87 03:05
• Gabriel Fauré (1845 - 1924):
• 20 8 Pièces Brèves, Op. 84: VII. Allégresse 02:02
• Edvard Grieg (1843 - 1907):
• 21 Lyric Pieces, Op. 12: I. Arietta 01:36
• Georges Bizet (1838 - 1875):
• 22 Scènes Bohémiennes: IV. Danse Bohémienne 03:34
• Leopold Godowsky (1870 - 1938):
• 23 Triakontameron: XI. Alt Wien 02:39
• Alexander Scriabin (1872 - 1915):
• 24 3 Pieces, Op. 45: III. Poème Fantasque 00:28
• Manuel de Falla (1876 - 1946):
• 25 El Sombrero De Tres Picos: V. Danza Del Molinero 02:19
• Claude Debussy (1862 - 1918):
• 26 D'un Cahier D'esquisses. Très Lent 04:24
• Darius Milhaud (1892 - 1974):
• 27 Saudades Do Brasil, Op. 67: V. Ipanema 01:53
• George Jacob Gershwin (1898 - 1937):
• 28 Promenade in C Major 02:58
• Maurice Ravel (1875 - 1937):
• 29 Prélude, M.65 01:29
• Igor Stravinsky (1882 - 1971):
• 30 Piano-Rag-Music 03:33
• Giacomo Puccini (1858 - 1924):
• 31 Foglio D'album in B-Flat Major, Sc 81 01:49
• Francis Poulenc (1899 - 1963):
• 32 Mouvement Perpétuel No. 1, Fp 14 01:37
• Paul Hindemith (1895 - 1963):
• 33 Suite Für Klavier, Op. 26: V. Ragtime 03:13
• Sergei Prokofiev (1891 - 1953):
• 34 The Love for Three Oranges, Op. 33b: III. March 01:47
• Olivier Messiaen (1908 - 1992):
• 35 Préludes: III. Le Nombre Léger 02:24
• Karl Heinz Stockhausen (1928 - 2007):
• 36 Klavierstück III 00:25
• Jean Françaix (1912 - 1997):
• 37 III. Hommage À Domenico Scarlatti 01:53
• La Monte Young (b. 1935):
• 38 Composition 1960 #7 00:43
• Niccolò Castiglioni (1932 - 1996):
• 39 Come Io Passo L'Estate: Vi. La Fontanella Di Ganna 00:37
• Morton Feldman (1926 - 1987):
• 40 Intermission 6 01:56
• Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887 - 1959):
• 41 A Prole Do Bebê, Book I: VII. O Polichinelo 02:03
• Paolo Castaldi (b. 1930):
• 42 Caro Babbo 00:56
• György Ligeti (1923 - 2006):
• 43 Allegro Con Spirito 01:19
• John Cage (1912 - 1992):
• 44 Totem Ancestor for Prepared Piano 02:27
• Luciano Berio (1925 - 2003):
• 45 Erdenklavier 01:51
• John Adams (b. 1947):
• 46 China Gates 05:11
• Bruno Canino (b. 1935):
• 47 Un Microritratto 01:06
• Salvatore Sciarrino (b. 1947):
• 48 Anamorfosi 01:53
• Alessandro Lucchetti (b. 1958):
• 49 The Grey Veil 02:45
• George Crumb (b. 1929):
• 50 Makrokosmos, Vol. II: VII. Tora! Tora! Tora! 02:30
• Total Runtime 01:47:26

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.

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