Davide Ficco

Davide Ficco was born in Turin in 1962. He received a diploma with honors in 1982 at the Conservatory of Alessandria with Guido Margaria, and conducted advanced studies with John Williams, José Tomàs, Betho Davezac, Jakob Lindberg, Oscar Ghiglia and Alain Meunier, obtaining, from the latter, a grant from the CEE and two Merit diplomas from the Chigiana Accademia of Siena (1982-1993).

The figure of Davide Ficco occupies a special place among the numerous guitarists/composers who enlarged the repertoire for their instrument. In fact, his figure is not exclusively limited to the universe of the six strings; rather, he gathers its idioms and intertwines them in a thick network of artistic, cultural, historical and ethnic references, making use also of the possibilities for research and expansion provided by new technologies. His output for the guitar’s six strings is in fact a successful example of cultural eclecticism. His vast knowledge does not only encompass the guitar repertoire, or the classical repertoire in general, but rather embraces various artistic forms, lingering also over the history of extra-European cultures and traditions. This all is poured into his music, in the form of countless extra-musical references, which may be more or less hidden, and which bestow refinement and elegance on his music without being burdened by an ostentatious intellectualism. Such richness does not belong to Ficco’s compositional activity only, but also derives from his work as a performer. Ficco has practised this activity for years, combining the musician’s technical know-how with the ability to draw diverse influences together and to let them emerge. However, this all happens in the service of the musical score, and not of an intellectual hedonism.

Mauro Giuliani is one of the most important figures within the history of the guitar. After spending his early years in Bisceglie, Barletta and Trieste, he moved to Vienna in 1806, instantly becoming an integral part of the prestigious musical circles within the city. He was an esteemed friend of, amongst others, Beethoven, Haydn and almost certainly Schubert, and a partner in the concert performances of virtuosos such as Hummel, Moscheles and Mayseder. The works presented on this release are performed in a historically sensitive manner, and combine the two musical genres to which Giuliani devoted his greatest efforts: vocal chamber music, and, to a greater degree, the solo guitar repertoire.

As one of the leading Italian composers of the 20th century, Bruno Bettinelli occupies a significant place in his countrys musical lineage. An inheritor of the traditions of Respighi, Casella and their contemporaries, he employed contemporary techniques to fashion music of structural clarity, inventiveness and considerable communicative power. The Improvvisazione and Due movimenti are two of his greatest smaller-scaled works, and the Trio a masterful embodiment of his musical principles. Bettinellis complete works for solo guitar, performed by Davide Ficco, can be heard on Naxos 9.70026.