"I acquired jazz skills from Poppies and Papers, yet it was my mother who gave the melodies voice."
Estimated Reading Time: 2 Minutes
Stefano Bollani, a beacon of Italian music globally, has been enthralling audiences for over two decades with his distinctive style on the piano. His latest offering, "Piano Variations on Jesus Christ Superstar," is a unique solo piano reinterpretation of the timeless masterpiece by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, released fifty years after its initial Broadway premiere.
In an exclusive interview with IL, Bollani shared a personal playlist that maps his musical evolution.
Originating from his childhood, the first piece of music he recalls is "Papaveri e Papere," a song his mother frequently sang to him. Despite her unaided vocals constantly altering the melody, Bollani was seemingly disappointed when he later listened to Nilla Pizzi's record, finding the melody too simple compared to his mother's rendition. In her idiosyncratic manner, his mother was unwittingly introducing him to the essence of jazz.
At the age of eleven, Bollani chose "Pianofortissimo" by Renato Carosone as his first composition to learn. Despite his teacher's initial reservations, his love for Carosone, who played the same instrument, motivated him to persist. At twelve, he even sent the icon a letter with a cassette of his cover versions, to which Carosone responded by encouraging him to delve into the blues, the foundation of all music.
Throughout his career, Bollani has faced challenges, including the demanding Maurice Ravel's "Concerto for the Left Hand in D Major." Despite its beauty, he eventually decided to forgo mastering the piece, concluding that perhaps it was best left to those whose affinity with it was more natural.
Ravel's piece, however, does not encapsulate Bollani's essence as a musician. For a casual yet significant reason, he points to the opening of "Que Bom," a recent recording, as a summary of his creative preferences. Titled "Popping Out of a Cloud," it succinctly encapsulates a series of things he identifies with. Hearing it, he remarks, "Yes, this must be something I wrote."
No specific details regarding Bollani's first piece of music from childhood or the first piece he chose to play as a child could be found in the available data. Despite the lack of early composition details, Bollani's versatility and creativity in music have solidified his place as a renowned Italian jazz pianist.
In his personal playlist, Stefano Bollani recalls the first piece of music from his childhood, "Papaveri e Papere," a song that his mother frequently sang to him. As an eleven-year-old, Bollani chose his first composition to learn, "Pianofortissimo" by Renata Carosone.
