Il Suonar Parlante

“Il Suonar Parlante.” This expression, invented by Nicolò Paganini, refers to a special sound emission technique by which musical instruments can really imitate the human voice. This technique has survived in certain marginal European and extra-European areas and is essential for a new interpretation of our ancient musical patrimony. Ghielmi´s initiative, the ensemble Il Suonar Parlante, has successfully aimed at and reached the collaboration between musicians in view to bring back to life this image of sound by means of artistic productions, seminars, congresses and collection of documents.

The viols consort is Il Suonar Parlante’s core group, and is based on the collaboration of four gamba soloists: Vittorio Ghielmi, Rodney Prada, Fahmi Alqhai and Cristiano Contadin. After two CDs under the name «Quartetto Italiano di viole da gamba«, one dedicated to J.S.Bach preludes to the chorals, with the Tölzer Knabenchor (Winter&winter, 2000), and the second in collaboration with the American jazz pianist Uri Caine (Goldberg Variation), the ensemble changes its name to «Il Suonar Parlante» and is then invited to play at important classical festivals.

The ensemble then also works with jazz players such as Uri Caine, Kenny Wheeler, Don Byron, Markus Stockhausen, Ernst Reijseger etc., who write new compositions for the gamba group. In 2007 «Il Suonar Parlante» was orchestra in residence for the 46th «Semana de Musica Religiosa de Cuenca», Madrid, where in an enlarged setting (35 musicians) and accompanied by the Swedish choir «Rilke ensemblen» (G.Eriksson), it was the protagonist of the world premiere of a big spectacle based on Buxtehude’s «Membra Jesu Nostri», conceived and conducted by Ghielmi and with the collaboration of American film maker Marc Reshovsky.

Il Suonar Parlante records for the Munich record company Winter&Winter. Full of Colour , with jazz cello player Ernst Rejiseger, published in March 2006 has been recognized as “an absolute revolution for the sound of ancient instruments” (Diapason d’or, Choc du Monde de la Musique, Preis des Deutsches Schallplatten). Further releases Purcell fantasias (2008), «Die Kunst der Fuge» with Lorenzo Ghielmi (2009), etc

Vittorio Ghielmi

Italian viola da gamba soloist and conductor, Vittorio Ghielmi is compared by the critics to Jasha Heifetz (“Diapason”, Le monde de la Musique) and to Pablo Casals. He has brought to light an entirely new perspective on the repertoire of European ancient music, and particularly for the viola da gamba. He attracts particular attention for the intensity and versatility of his musical interpretation, as well as for his new approach to the viola and to the sound of the repertoire of ancient music.

Ghielmi is considered one of the most remarkable viola players, and is a winner of the «Concorso Internazionale Romano Romanini per strumenti ad arco» (Brescia, 1995) and of the Erwin Bodky Award (Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, 1997). As viola soloist or conductor (working with orchestras such as the London Philharmonia, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl Hall (Graun concerto), the Wiener Philharmoniker, Il Giardino Armonico, Freiburger Baroque Orchestra etc.), and as a duo with his brother Lorenzo Ghielmi or with Luca Pianca, he has played in the most important halls of Europe, the United States, and Japan, such as Musikverein Wien, Berliner Philharmonie Berlin, Casals Hall, Tokyo.

He has been invited to play as a soloist at the world premieres of many “new music” compositions, including works by Kevin Volans at the Teatro Regio di Torino and Nadir Vassena at the Berliner Philharmoniker Hall and has played in duos and trios with artists such as Gustav Leonhart, Christophe Coin, Viktoria Mullova, Giuliano Carmignola, Cecilia Bartoli etc.

To read more please visit Vittorio Ghielmi’s soloist page

Download Vittorio Ghielmi’s biography in PDF.

Vídeos

Lorenzo Ghielmi, clave y Vittorio Ghielmi, Viola da gamba: Marin Marais: Pièces de viole (Livres II et IV). Selección  Antoine Forquerai: Pièces de viole avec la basse continue. Selección

Lorenzo Ghielmi, clave y Vittorio Ghielmi, Viola da gamba Obras de Carl P. Emanuel Bach, Louis Marchand, Antoine y Jean-Baptiste Forqueray.

Il Suonar Parlante, Vittorio Ghielmi, Viola da gamba y dirección Selección del CD «Barbarian Beauty, concertos para viola da gamba»

Il Suonar Parlante, Vittorio Ghielmi, Viola da gamba y dirección J.G.Graun: Concerto en Re menor para Viola Da Gamba y orquesta. Primer movimiento, cadenza y parte final.

Tráiler «THE HEART OF SOUND – A musical journey with Vittorio Ghielmi» Documental, dir. Paul Fenkart.