Season 1, Episode 6: Paolo Marchettini - Composer, Clarinetist, Manhattan School of Music Faculty
27 Jan 2021 · 46 min
This content was created by The Piano Pod with Yukimi Song. This content was uploaded by The Piano Pod with Yukimi Song. This is a podcast episode (Season 1, Episode 6: "Paolo Marchettini - Composer, Clarinetist, Manhattan School of Music Faculty") published January 27, 2021. It contains an English interview-style conversation on The Piano Pod (hosts Clara Zhang, Yukimi Song, and Eric Hunter) with guest Paolo Marchettini discussing his background in Rome, career as a clarinetist and composer, his new orchestral album (The Months Have Ends), compositional process and influences (poetry, film, visual art, Morricone), piano and electronic work, current projects (24 preludes and fugues), and the impact of COVID on performance and recording. The episode also includes rapid-fire personal questions, release and score availability details, and sponsor ad segments.
Chapters
Ready to put a little spin on your day? Then check out Chumba Casino's new online social casino game, Ryan Seacrest 10K Ways. It's free and packed with 10,000 ways to play, only at chumbacasino.com. No purchase necessary. VGW Group. Void where prohibited by law. CT&C is 21+. Sponsored by Chumba Casino.
What if the freshest thing you ate this summer didn't come from a store? Meet Garden. Garden is the smart indoor home growing system that grows flavorful greens, herbs, fruit and vegetables right in your kitchen. No backyard, no experience, no grocery run required. Garden automatically balances water and light, so nutrient-dense produce is always within reach. Heading out this summer? Kelby, Garden's AI plant assistant, keeps your garden thriving while you're away so you can come home to a harvest. With Garden, your lettuce isn't days old from a truck. It's alive, crisp, and inches from your plate. Fuel your summer from the inside out. Visit mygarden.com. That's mygarden.com.
Happy New Year 2021 and welcome back to another episode of The Piano Pod with Clara Zhang, Yukimi Song, and Eric Hunter. The Piano Pod with Yukimi Song is a monthly podcast where we interview some of the brightest talents in the industry. Each episode features a guest speaker who is making bold new innovations that may change the way we play or teach piano, or even the way we think about music.
We have been so lucky to have some wonderful guests in our first 5 episodes last fall. If you missed any of them, you can catch up on your favorite podcast platform such as iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, or iHeartRadio.
We also have an amazing guest lineup for the next several months, which you can see on our social media. And if you want to find out more about us, be sure to check out our introductory video where we explain who we are and why we started this podcast.
Today we have our first guest of 2021, Dr. Paolo Marzettini, a composer, clarinetist, and composition theory professor at Manhattan School of Music. And formerly at the Berklee College of Music. He was a prize winner of the prestigious Queen Elizabeth Competition in 2005 for his composition of Walden Concerto.
His music has been performed by such orchestras and ensembles as the Orchestra della Toscana, Orchestra Roma Sinfonietta, Orchestra di Santa Cecilia, and broadcasted by Vatican Radio, RAI Radio 3, and Swiss Radio.
He has just released his first orchestral album entitled "The Months Have Ends," produced by his label New Focus Recording and available on iTunes, Spotify, Bandcamp, and directly from his website. Congratulations, Paulo!
Thank you, thank you for hosting me.
Of course, and are these the only websites that people can— audience can find your CDs, or are Are there other places?
If, yeah, if people go on my personal website, they can find a way to, if they're interested, to find my CD also there. Also through the recording label New Focus Recordings. So there are different ways. It's available on iTunes, Spotify, as you mentioned.
Of course, Barnes Noble and where all the CDs are sold. So without any further ado, let's welcome Paulo. Welcome to The Piano Pod.
Thank you so much.
I will start off, you know, with some questions of maybe your background. I know you are originally from Rome, Italy. What was your upbringing like in Italy, Rome? And I believe you also lived in Milan for many years.
No, I mostly lived my life in Italy, in Rome. And I was born in Rome and I was studying in Rome, so I'm a truly Roman. And, um, regarding music, I studied in Conservatorio of Santa Cecilia, one of the oldest in the world, and it's in a very historical building, very beautiful, uh, ex-convent where there were nuns in the past. Wow. Now, right now it's a conservatory. It's very beautiful with some Roman columns, you know, some altars and some beautiful, beautiful view in my conservatory. And you can feel the aura of the great past because there was like great composers were teaching there, like Respighi. And actually, Santa Cecilia was founded by Palestrina. From Renaissance time, the Accademia di Santa Cecilia came from him. So I studied in a very, very old institution and I'm very happy about that.
So were they super hard on you guys? I remember the story, you always talked about the 3-day exam that you had to take where you had to stay there.
Yes.
So, um, when I was— actually, I think right now the things are a little bit different because try to update an international system. When I was there, I studied— at the time I studied clarinet, and I studied— I took the diploma in clarinet, also in composition and choral music and choral conducting. So I did 3 fields in music. And all of them, they were actually very, very intense and long, long program. Composition is 10 years. Imagine, like, it's a very, very long, long program. And yes, as you, Clara, mentioned, the final exam of composition was kind of medieval type of exam because they lock me, not only me, all the candidates for 3 days in a room.
Only just for the composers? Composer students?
Yeah.
I see.
We had to compose a fugue in 2 days and we had to Orchestra Variations in 3 days and also a sonata in 3 days. So it was very, very intense. When I came out from that exam, I was exhausted and I was so happy to be done.
I wonder if that's what they did in the very beginning. They say 14th century, right? The Italian one.
Yeah, it's actually— They gave us some themes that we had to develop. And so it was really like an old-fashioned exam.
That's really cool, actually.
Pretty cool that we had to, right? You have to ring the bell and there were some, you know, maybe you're from actually two centuries ago, who knows?
Well, tell us a little bit about your Elizabeth's competition?
How did you— Yeah, there was a piece I wrote after I finished my studies in conservatory. I did also kind of a master with another composer. I studied in Santa Cecilia regarding composition with a great composer who actually passed away a month ago. So I'm happy to pay homage to him because he was great musician, Ivan Van. Yeah, he was Hungarian but naturalized Italian. And yeah, he was a great artist and great teacher. He studied with Petrazzi, was a very important figure in Italy for composers, not only composers. But after him, I went to study also in an academia of Santa Giulia, which is after, you know, the regular degree in conservatory, like a master.
Yep.
And during that period, I wrote this violin concerto, and I sent to this competition with no expectation because I usually don't like competitions, and I don't believe so much in competition. But I was— I think I did the right thing to send this piece to Brussels, and I received an important prize. I won— I was second, like, Yeah, after the winner was not me, the first prize, I was the second prize. So I received some money and some, you know.
So did that help you to eventually— I believe you had some CDs released back when you were in Italy, right? And orchestral works. And did you ever compose an opera or how was it like the publishers in Italy before you moved here?
Oh, in Italy I was working a lot as a performer too. I was playing clarinet.
Sure.
For, you know, classical and contemporary music in orchestra. I was playing with Opera Theatre of Rome for a while. I was playing together with Ennio Morricone, famous film composer. I recorded— also passed away a few months ago. And what I was saying. So I was playing with him, I recorded some of his soundtracks, and I was composing. I was composing for concerts, concert seasons, and the chamber music and some orchestra works. I had some recordings, but most of these recordings were like, you know, compilation of different composers, unified our, you know, resources and we made together with other young composers, we made some CDs. So I have had pieces in different compilations. So I'm glad about this new CD just came out because it's just— Right.
Despite of, you know, what's happening right now, it's magnificent that you get to produce a CD like this. And so I just want to start out with the origin of this album. How did you— and also you have quite several pieces, major orchestral work with the concertino. So I want you to tell us how did you compile all these pieces. So.
Yes. So this new album comprehends 5 works for orchestra, 2 of them with soloists. So one is with the great soprano Alda Caiello. And another one with me as a clarinetist, as a soloist. And these 5 works are from— I mean, the oldest one is from 2011, so it's kind of old, almost, I mean, 9 years ago. And the most recent is from 2018. So those pieces are kind of like represent the passage from me, from Italy to US, and It's like a combination of— I mean, how they show how my style changed over time, also with the clash with the new, with the new environment, American environment, who adopted me. So I think it was interesting in this CD for this reason. Also, I had the orchestras from both Italy and the US.
Wow.
In this, in the same album. So it really represents a kind of like a love letter for both countries, Italy and the US. And I combined the two. Those recordings are all live, so I didn't record in studio because right now you can imagine with COVID that would be impossible, right? And also I had a very good, very good recording, live recording of these performances. And so I, of course, I edited them. I made them the sound with the sound engineer of New Focus label. And we did the, I mean, they did a great job of adjusting the sound. I mean, live recording, they're always challenging for that reason. And, but they did a great job.
And So when you compose, do you think of poetry, or do you get inspired by a story, or do you try to imagine a story? As you compose?
So regarding this specific piece, of course, I had the guidance from the poet, the great poet Emily Dickinson, which, you know, through her words, helped me to create a story through my music. Because of course, when there is a poetry, we always have kind of like, you know, we— the poetry suggests us the form of the piece and also the structure. And the differentiation of moods during the piece. In that case, when there is a text, I usually try to follow my instinct, but according to what the text suggests to me. Regarding the other pieces, which are more abstract because there is no any text, I try to create a story as well, even if there is not a specific plot. But I like to imagine like through music, like a story, like usually with contrast, dramas and release of tension and conclusion. Also, I like the mystery to create some kind of tension that create expectation from the listeners. They are, they like, I like to create the sense of waiting for something. Going to happen. I don't know if I succeed in that, but I, I try to. And yeah, but I— it depends. Some pieces I have— in some pieces I had before the idea of the general form. Other time, I— the, the idea of the form, uh, step by step becomes more clear while I'm composing.
Especially when I heard the first one, Mercy, just felt like maybe he— you're thinking about maybe some certain story, not directly taken something out of it, but I felt like because there were, I guess, sections.
I—
so especially toward the end, it was just very moving, like second half or maybe one-third toward the end. There was a cello solo with the orchestra in background and was just very moving and especially times like this and you get very vulnerable and sometimes lonely and really have mercy on me, right? I just, that prayer or the longing was really carried out by the melody and harmonies. That was I. Yeah.
I really felt that.
Yeah. So, so tell us about Mercy.
Yeah. So, um, when I composed this piece, I had in mind like another piece, uh, from the past, which is Miserere. Miserere is like Latin version of Mercy. And there is a famous story that this Miserere by a composer which is not that famous, but his name is Allegri, and he's famous mostly for this piece. But this piece was like glorious, like was one of the most famous piece of Renaissance time and was very secret. So apparently in Rome, in St. Peter's Church, they play this piece during Easter time, and only once a year they play this piece, if I'm not wrong, once or twice a year. And this piece was very mysterious, so no one could access to the score of this piece. So it was very easy only in Vatican, I mean, inside of the Church of Saint Peter, they could, only few people, the musician could access to the score. But there is a legend that the young Mozart went with his father to Rome, and of course, with the great ear he had, he transcribed everything. I mean, it's not that a complex piece. It's doable. But in any case, Mozart could have done very easy. And this piece is beautiful and very like, you know, merciful, of course. And when I received this commission in 2013 or '12, I think '12, from Orchestra della Toscana, They commissioned me this piece for a festival which is called— Play It was called— and it was a beautiful festival with a lot of all Italian composers from the oldest to the youngest. And I was already living in US, and in that time Italy was having some trouble in politics and economy, and I felt a lot of compassion for my country, for my friends, for my family. For myself too, for all humans. I felt like, oh my God, how miserable all of we humans are, like suffering. And so I wanted to, you know, to make a modern version of this type of piece. So I have "Mercy on Us," like this wonderful words from the gospel, and I wanted to create something update to our time, of course. And so I used actually, I don't know if I can play, but this is improvised. But you know, there is the material, if I don't remember wrongly, of this piece. It's based on a suspension, you know, the famous suspension when I do like, for example, —is double suspension. So of the third, actually this is from the original Miserere. So all the piece is based on these 5 notes, actually. 1, 2, 3, 4, and then I made a picardy third. Ah. So this is the very simple idea that came from this— sorry, this piece. And I use these 5 notes in a very different way. So I like to transform the material. So I started from this idea. Actually, I didn't invent anything because I took this fragment from— it's just an archetype, you know, comes from everybody use this cadence, like this suspension. But I use these 5 notes in dividing the piece in 3 parts. The first part I want to represent the abstraction of the search for purity and the fact that the beginning of the piece is very abstract. We have these notes like looking for, searching for something, and we have some repetition, kind of a lament, you know, of the brass and the winds. This is the first part. It's kind of slow and mysterious and abstract, I would say, almost cold. The second part instead, I wanted to represent the hectic, you know, quality of life, especially in big cities like New York and Rome. So it's much more rhythmical, more contrast, more excitement. And the last part is the real Miserere, the real Mercy. And it's the part where these 5 notes become like a chorale. And, uh, so it's like the conclusion of all the journey we heard before. This was the idea. The idea, the formal idea came actually from movies because at that time I was watching— this can be probably interesting for the listeners, um, people who are watching us— because, you know, Stanley Kubrick is one of the most famous directors of our time. Movie director. At that time, I was watching some of his movies, especially one very violent, terrible movie, Full Metal Jacket. I don't know if you know it. Full Metal Jacket, Vietnam. Yeah.
Oh, that is a very shocking—
disturbing. Yeah. But I like how he divided the, the movie in exactly 3 parts, which are clearly divided in, uh, during the movie. And I did actually the same because my piece is really like a triptych, like divided in 3 parts. Really?
Yeah, I have to watch the movie again. It's been such a long time. Why?
I know, for, um, for the content, because of course the movie is about war and violence, and— but I was inspired by the form, formal aspect of, uh, of his work.
So you You seem to get inspiration from other forms of art as well, I guess.
Yes, yes, I try. I sometimes I get more ideas from visual art like painting or installation sculptures, literature too. Yeah, more than music sometimes. Oh yeah. Also music, of course, music of the past. I like to go very back on time and I like to talk to my ancestors.
But, um, you have several, you know, influence influences in actually in these 5 pieces you wrote, and one of them is Ennio Morricone. And you just mentioned with Clara that you get to work with him, or you— Yeah, he composed a film movie by Tarantino, right?
Yeah. Oh, was it— which one was it? Tarantino— I mean, Tarantino used his music many times, but his score is he took from, uh, from other movies, from the, from previous movies. But the last movie he did, which— no, sorry, the second to the last movie he did, which is The Hateful Eight, uh, asked finally to Ennio Morricone to do an original soundtrack for, for his movies, and he won an Oscar. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Uh, but he deserved the Oscar much before with other movies, in my opinion, even better.
That was his first one, right?
Yeah, he won another Oscar for a career but never for another movie. Oh wow, that's incredible. Yeah, so it's kind of a—
what's it like to work with him?
So it was very interesting. I was playing clarinet, so I was playing clarinet mostly in orchestra with him. I recorded some of his soundtrack, some of his soundtracks, but I, I did also concerts with you, with him, because he used to be conducting his music around Europe, and I was touring with him in the Orchestra Prenkrajinet. I played also his contemporary music because he was also a composer for concerts. So it was very interesting for me. He was a very serious composer, serious man, old-fashioned, a Roman composer. Actually studied with the same teacher of my teacher. So in a way, I belong to the same tradition. And it was, yeah, it was very interesting. I don't think my piece were influenced by his music, but one of the pieces of the CD is dedicated to him for his 90th birthday. And I quoted a little bit of one of his famous soundtracks from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, a famous Western movie. I quoted this famous tune at the end, but I made it very, very hidden so no one could tell. Even him, he didn't realize it was there, I think. And— but I was very happy because I had this piece together with another piece of him during the concert. And I gave this— the score to him, and he was very happy, liked the piece. Unfortunately, he died the next year, so I was happy to give him his final gift. Final, yeah, that's amazing. Musical.
But last question, so I was also fascinated by the design of the album, the COVID It's so beautiful. And so who designed it and what's—
oh yeah, yeah, happy to mention his name is my friend, artist Marco Gallotta. Who lives in New York, is a very successful artist, and he specializes, I would say, in portrait. He does a lot of portrait cutting the paper. So what you see is like he made my face and then he cut after with the, with the scissors, and he makes these cuts which are like kind of his style, his style. And, um, yeah, I think he's amazing, amazing. Yeah. And we are very good friends, so I had the idea to ask him to create a cover for me and I think I'm very, very beautiful.
Yeah, the design and then your music just go together so well. So congratulations again.
Hello, I know you're an amazing clarinetist, and I mean, we listened to your concertino on the album. You clearly have some chops on the clarinet. But as we are a piano podcast, and I know you also play the piano, I wanted to ask you about your relationship with the instrument, and especially if you use it in your compositional process.
Yes. So actually, I start playing piano. It was my first instrument when I was a baby, I mean a kid. And piano for me is really important. I could not compose just on the clarinet. I would never. Anytime I think music, I visualize the keyboard of piano. Piano. So for me, it's very, very important. And I compose usually at the desk with— I'm a traditional composer with pencil and, you know, eraser. But I always try things out on the piano, and I also need the, the physical contact with the, with the instrument, The Piano Pod. Sometimes I compose at the piano, but most frequently at the desk. But usually I check all the time, so especially if I have to write for piano, I need the piano.
Sure, sure. Have you written a lot of compositions for piano?
I did, yeah. I mean, a lot, no, but I did, yeah. I wrote many pieces, yeah. Wonderful.
I want to chime in for one thing I forgot to ask. I want to ask about the prelude and the fugue. Those are piano pieces, right? Yes.
So I finished last year this other big project, which actually is going to be published very soon. I'm in the middle of this publishing. And it's a big work. It took one year of my life. And it's 24 preludes and fugues. Like, you know, I follow the model, the great model of Bach. That I made in my own way. Of course, there are tonal fugues and tonal preludes. I respect all the different keys, 24 keys. And I'm very excited because for me was a— I tried to update, you know, this old form in my own way, putting inside some contemporary vibes, you know, like some jazz influence, African minimal music, different influences. I mean, anything I could put to my— could come to my imagination, I used in this work. But always, of course, being careful that I had to respect the old tradition. And this is another project I'm very happy and I can't wait to present. It still was not still performed, so Oh, okay.
And the scores will be available for purchase when it comes out? Yes, yes.
I am in the middle of— I mean, we are publishing with an Italian publishing company called Curci Editore. And it's going to be hopefully this year, will be published before the summer, hopefully, maybe even sooner.
And so if people are interested in finding scores of your older works, where could they get them?
Good question. So I have some works with an Italian publisher, which is RAI.com. In the past it was called RAI Trade, but now it's called RAI.com. And it's connecting with Italian radio and Italian TV. And I have a lot of works self-published. So you can find some of my works on my website. And, of course, you can contact me through my website. And I can, of course, send my score if somebody wants to purchase or find specific work. And right now, as I mentioned, I'm going to publish my 24 preludes and fugues with another publishing company, which is— Curci Editore.
So yeah, and for anybody who's listening, the links to Paolo's website where you can find all his works and recordings will be in the description. Now, when we were talking earlier, you said you're even getting into electronics this year.
Electronic is a big work. It is. But I, yeah, I was trying to— I use this bad period of, you know, isolation and COVID problems to learn something new for me. So I had to buy, actually for working reason, I had to buy a new computer because the one I had before was not able to work finally fine on Zoom. Sorry guys, I'm a little bit tired, so sometimes my English becomes weak.
No, no, you're doing great. I'm right there with you.
So now what I was saying, I bought a new computer and also I bought a new program for me, uh, of editing and, uh, yeah, and composing, which is— I don't want to make— can I say the name or maybe not? Oh yeah, yeah, sure. It's famous. Logic is called. Um, I mean, many people use, is one of the most popular, and Because I play clarinet, I also play— now I bought a saxophone and I have different type of clarinet, bass clarinet, regular, I mean A clarinet, B-flat. Now I have this alto sax and I have a piano, electric keyboard, etc. So I, I became kind of a one-man show, one-man music band in your apartment, one-man band. So I, I made some songs, even pop, a little bit pop. And, uh, yeah, maybe, you know, in the future I will do an album of this more light, uh, more lighter songs.
And I like the song so far, the ones I've heard.
Yeah, it sounds like you're always looking for the next new thing to push yourself, which I really admire in any composer or any creator for for that matter. You know, one thing I really like, speaking as a digital composer myself, is that I feel like it's cheating because if you have a digital keyboard plugged into a computer and some sample libraries, you can be any instrument in the orchestra. Have you gotten into that at all yet?
Or you're— Yes, yes. Actually, when I use the guitar from the keyboard, like I play myself, I try to— it's actually fun because Even if you use a keyboard, like a piano, but every time you use the sound of a guitar or a flute, the challenge is to create, to follow the style of the instrument, you know? So you make arpeggios has to sound like a guitar or the way to create a melody on flute sound has to be like a flute melody. Yeah. But I was trying to use as much I can, um, like real sound from the instrument I can play. Even my voice, I, I record my voice. I made some choral pieces, and, uh, yeah, I'm experimenting just for fun and, and to see what will come out of it. Yeah, wonderful, wonderful.
Um, so, um, so aside from what you're working on right now, what we just talked about, do you have any future prospects future projects or aspirations for things in, you know, years to come?
Yeah, so I have to finish a piece for ensemble that I am in the middle of, chamber ensemble. And after this piece, I would love to work on with voice again. So either— I'm not sure if I will go back to a project I started about an opera, real opera, But you know, it's a big, big work. So it's— maybe I will start with something smaller, like with this time using a tenor probably, or baritone solo. Because the piece with Emily Dickinson poems feature a soprano. So I want to make another kind of a twin of that piece with a male voice. So I have to find the right poem. I still don't know exactly. For sure, I want to go back to work with voice. Okay.
You know, talking about these huge works, and I mean, you sound so busy, and I'm sure you are. It just makes me wonder, what does your day look like, and how much time do you spend composing every day? I'm sure it's different for every composer, right?
But I'm just very curious. I wish it was more sometimes. So when I have my schedule, full schedule of teaching, I have to be very diligent and find, you know, the way that— because, you know, teaching is also draining a lot of energy. Yeah, especially right now with the, with the online teaching, is, it's very tiring. So I have to really sometimes push myself and force myself to, to have a, like, some hours that I know that are dedicated to composition. But you know, sometimes I change. I'm not like, you know, always regular. Sometimes I can work many hours in the same day. Sometimes I don't compose at all. Sometimes I try to compose regularly, a few hours a day. So it depends. I'm not always consistent. I have crisis, some moments where I cannot write. I don't want to write. Uh, so I admire composers who can compose exactly every day the same hours, from 8 AM until— I'm not that type. I change time all the time. I usually prefer the morning. Morning is my favorite. It helps a lot for me when I have commissions, when I request. I feel like I'm much more motivated and I compose more, I compose faster. But even if I don't— sometimes we don't have always commission. So even when I don't have commission, I try to imagine which piece I would love to compose even if no one asked me. Sometimes it's even more exciting sometimes.
Yeah, I really like that idea. Because certainly composers and performers, I think most musicians really work best under a deadline. Right? And that's when we do our best work. That's when we work the most. It just— and I think really it doesn't have to do with procrastination or not being motivated, but we need to know that we're valued in the world. You know, it's not easy being a musician, and ultimately it's something that we're doing for other people.
So that really gives us that extra juice to feel that somebody's waiting for us. I think it's important. Yeah. Because, you know, I think it's always an exchange. Yeah. Yeah. So it's tough when, especially right now that we don't have concerts because everything is frozen, especially in the US, but everywhere in the world. So for us, finding motivation right now, it's very hard. And, uh, but we have to accept, I mean, We don't work in bank, so we have to accept the up and down.
And I love your idea of just let me do what I would most love to do for myself right now, because the other side of it is when it rains, it pours. And sometimes we get more work than we have time for, and then we don't get to do these passion projects. So now is really the time to take advantage of that. I think that's really smart. Yes, you're right.
So this is called, uh, The Piano Pod rapid-fire questions. We're gonna ask, um, really, you know, from $5 questions to a million-dollar question at the end. And then nobody gets the money, but it's a fun question. So I would like for you answer in— oops, sorry— in very short answer, please. Okay, so I'm gonna start. Okay, you ready? All right, let's do it. Question number 1, $5: What is your favorite food?
Oh, pasta. Spaghetti, of course. Yes.
All right, number 2: Cats or dogs? Dogs. All right, do you have a pet? No. No? Okay. All right, what is your word or words to live by? Love. Oh, good one. All right, what is the most important quality you look for in people?
Uh, imagination.
What is the worst quality in people you want to stay stay away from?
Opportunism. Yeah, opportunism. Yeah, that's a good one.
All right, Eric. Oh yeah, okay, my turn. Uh, name 3 people who inspire you, living or dead.
In music or in general? Well, anybody. Yeah, Stravinsky, Verdi, and Michelangelo. Wonderful.
Who would you like to take lessons from? I guess this is a historical figure. Who would you like to take lessons from if they were still alive? Doesn't have to be a musician.
Ja, Stravinsky.
Stravinsky, okay. And which historical figure or composer would you want to hang out with at a bar?
Verdi. That sounds great. Sounds like fun.
All right, we're having a party. All right, so I'm going to bring out the million-dollar question.
All right, let's do it.
One piece in your current playlist. One piece in your current playlist?
I don't have any playlist, but, uh, one piece, um that you're listening to right now?
Um, you listen to any music?
Schumann. Schumann. Wow. All right.
The Schumann Quintet.
Piano Quintet.
Oh, my favorite.
Name a book title you're currently reading.
Okay, I'm reading a book, uh, Lorenzo da Ponte, the memoir, Memories. The Great Beasts of Mozart. And it's— I'm almost done. It's a big book. It's kind of a Don Giovanni type of guy, and it was very fascinating.
Fun! You get only one sound piece to listen to for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Very cool. Probably John Cage, 4'33".
Good one. And fill in the blank. Music is—
If I am in the—
No, fill in the blank. Music is blank. What is your blank? Ah, okay.
Music is dream. Oh, look at that.
Ding, ding, ding. You win.
You are the winner. You're right.
But if we have— all right, so that concludes this episode of The Piano Pod with Yukimi Song with Paolo Marchettini. Thank you so much, Paolo, for joining our program today, and thanks to you, our audience, for listening. We want to remind the listeners and the viewers of this episode that Paolo Marchettini's new album, The Month, has ended on the music streaming services as such as iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, the place that Paulo just mentioned earlier, and all the links are listed in the description of this episode below.
If you enjoyed today's episode, please hit the thumbs up button down below and be sure to subscribe to our channel. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn accounts. The links are listed in the description.
And as always, if you have feedback for us, please leave it in the comments, send us a DM, or you can also email us at thepianopodnyc@gmail.com.
Hope to see you for the next episode of The Piano Pod with Yukimi Song.
Bye everyone! Bye everyone! Thank you, Paulo!
Thank you for hosting me. Bye-bye!
Drew McIntyre here from WWE. Wielding the Claymore can be a life of chaos. When I'm not dominating in the ring, Chumba Casino is how this warrior takes a wee break. With hundreds of online social games and new weekly releases, there's always something fresh to try. And those daily boosts— next level. Even my free time feels like Valhalla. So when life feels like a battle, kick up your feet, have some fun, and let's Chumba! No purchase necessary. VGW Group. Void where prohibited by law. CTs and Cs. 21+. Sponsored by Chumba Casino. You're listening to a podcast right now. Driving, working out, walking the dog. If you're into podcasts, chances are you have something to say too. With RSS.com, starting your own podcast is free and easy. Upload an episode and we distribute it to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and more. Track your listeners, see where they're from, and start earning from ads just like this. If you've been thinking about starting a podcast, this is your sign. Start your new podcast for free today at RSS.com.
More from The


Spirit, Body, and Soul: Pianist & Composer David Berry on Virtuosity, Creativity, and Artistic Identity


Sound Liberation: Joe Williams on Black Artistry, Legacy & Belonging in Concert Music


Beyond Borders: From Argentina to Poland to Texas—Oscar Macchioni reflects on a life in music


Official Trailer: "Beyond Borders" feat. Oscar Macchioni, Steinway Artist & Pedagogue


Official Trailer: Season 6 Eps.15, The Sound of Perseus feat. Michael Ostrzyga, Composer





