Nestling in the shade of the magnificent Scalieri Castle of Malcesine is the theatre that is shaped like the white ship sails seen on the lake. You can see this to the right of the castle in the image on the left. This semi open air venue made for a wonderful evening during the hot start of August. The night breeze cooled the audience as the scent of flowers perfumed the night air.

Young soloist Allessandro Barneschi from Pistoi in Tuscany gave us an interesting and varied programme. Opening with the Mozart Duport Variations, he brought out all the nuances and flair of each variation which were delightful. However the performance was a little too careful and felt a bit like an examination piece. This is musician's music, a pianist's piece, so perhaps his measured treatment was understandable.

We moved on to a decisive version of Beethoven's Sonata in C Major Opus 2 No 3. Alessandro had good clarity of tone and gave a very sensitive interpretation. He was the picture of intense concentration as the music drifted into the evening air,  the notes seeming to hang in the starry sky. He made the lyrical second movement full of contrasts, with good switches of mood and at times you could have heard a pin drop. Tears sprang to my eyes in the quiet sections as they were so infinitely sad. Then he seemed to turn on a sixpence and brought out the full emotional intensity. Lively and playful sections followed and he finished the piece leaving us uplifted

After the interval he really came alive with a very spirited performance of Mussorgsky's Pictures from an Exhibition. This is one of my personal favourites, though I have only heard it before as an orchestral piece. Alessandro's handling of the Promenade interludes was excellent, he gave them variety without excessive 'showiness' Mussorgsky's music is so impressionistic and you can see the pictures unfold before you the spooky and deformed dark 'Gnome' and the gothic splendour of 'The old castle' particularly appropriate on this night you did not have to let your imagination stray far away. The sound of children playing in the 'Tuileries' with the undercurrent of the French Revolution glimpsed in the background. You could hear the swaying Camels in the 'Bydlo' reminding me so much of one of Faure's dromedaries in the 'Bestiare' song cycle. The comical sounds of the 'Ballet of the chicks in their shells' and the Chopinesque polonaise of the 'Samuel Goldenburg and Schmuyle' images were fully realised. The drama of 'Rich man Poor man. and the bustle of 'The Market place in Limoges' came off very well. From the sepulchral tones of the 'Catacombs Romanum' in a quicksilver change of mood we heard the witches flying through the air in 'Baba-Yaga' bringing us to my most favourite piece 'The Great Gate of Kiev'. I was concerned I would be disappointed with this last sound picture. I am used to the gongs and bells of the orchestra booming out, with the swinging bell of the cathedral of Kiev sounding in the distance. How could this be conveyed by a solitary instrument. I need not have worried as Alessandro gave us a spirited and brio rendition. You could hear the bells and feel the atmosphere and with this lively climax leaving us breathless, he then gave an encore  of great delicacy and charm.

A wonderful evening and I urge you to watch out for this talented pianist. You will not be disappointed

This beautiful chapel has the most amazing acoustic and is perfect for a wonderful evening of classical music, far removed from the bustle of Rome's New Year celebrations outside in the Piazza Navona.

On a cold January night the delightful performance warmed our hearts as the mellifluous music flowed over us from this talented duo.

The programme opened with Beethoven's 12 variations on a theme from Handel's Oratorio Judas Maccabeus better known as 'Behold the conquering hero comes' The first variation was brightly played on the piano and the second introduced the rich tones of the cello. I particularly enjoyed the 5^th variation with its trips and trills on the piano and the depth of sound from the cello. Zurletti and Novarino enhanced the cadence and romanticism of Beethoven's genius. The piece was full of feeling with the performers bringing out the exquisitely lovely music with its cascading notes full of intensity and passion

From the richness of Beethoven we were treated to Zurletti's arrangement of a selection of the most interesting of the musical themes from the James Bond films, given a classical treatment by this talented cellist. After the first shock we settled down and realised that this piece was perfectly at home in the church setting and should actually be in the repertoire of classical music of the future.

Schubert's 'Arpeggione' was next on the programme. This romantic passionate music, which pulled at the heartstrings, was full of melody and easy to listen. This was the theme from the film Schindler's list and Zurletti also arranged this for cello. It was very successful as he brought out its lyrical qualities

Both performers played the final piece Brahms the op. 38 sonata for cello and piano with great intelligence.  All too soon the encore Mendelssohn's 'On Wings of Song' brought a wonderful evening to its close.

Matteo Zurletti is a cellist full of promise with great skills of interpretation and arrangement. Novarino is a generous pianist who allowed the cellist room to give a great performance. Both these names should be watched as they develop into great virtuosi.