Alfredo Piatti (1822-1901) was the “Paganini of the Cello”, as his admirer Franz Liszt called him, having given him a valuable Amati cello. Piatti was born in Bergamo. His talent was soon evident, and he became a famous cellist, traveling all over Europe, meeting influential artists like Mendelssohn, Joachim, Grieg, Clara Schumann and Liszt. In 1846 he settled in London where he was appointed First Cello in Her Majesty’s Theatre and Covent Garden.

Piatti’s cello sonatas are high quality works, of a great melodic invention and stunning and ground-breaking virtuosity. In his deep understanding and knowledge of the cello, Piatti always aimed to write meaningful music that went well beyond any superficial display of technical brilliance. Moreover, far from being simple supports for the cello, his piano scores have a musical personality of their own, undergoing developments that made them an integral part of the overall work.

Played with great intensity by two excellent Italian soloists, cellist and composer Lamberto Curtoni and pianist Giovanni Doria Miglietta.