Pizzicato dialogue

The Church of Saints Fedele and Simone appears almost isolated from the village of Vico Morcote, suspended above the lake in an intimate and silent position. Its Baroque forms preserve traces of different eras and transform listening into something intimate, close and natural.

Within this space takes shape the encounter between mandolin and harp, two instruments that seem naturally to belong to the realm of detail, transparency and resonance. Yet behind this apparent lightness lies an extraordinary expressive variety.

Pizzicato indeed possesses something unique: it does not impose sound, but allows it to emerge and vanish naturally. It is an essential, almost discreet gesture, yet one capable of suddenly illuminating the colour of music, making it more vivid, mobile and luminous. Much like certain spices in Mediterranean cuisine: they do not dominate flavour, but reveal its deepest nuances.

The programme moves through eighteenth-century, Romantic and virtuosic pages while always maintaining strong sonic continuity. From the elegant grace of Gabriele Leone to the writing of Ludwig van Beethoven, up to the theatrical brilliance of Enrico Marucelli, the mandolin reveals a surprisingly broad nature: lyrical, refined, rhythmic and at times even orchestral.

Beside it, the harp continually expands the space of sound. It does not simply accompany, but constructs depth, resonance and movement, transforming the dialogue between the two instruments into a mobile and luminous texture made of echoes, suspensions and continuous timbral play.

Elisa Netzer and Duilio Galfetti shape this journey with rare naturalness. Their way of making music avoids any search for immediate effect: everything instead arises from reciprocal listening, balance of phrasing and a shared musical breath that makes every passage extraordinarily vivid and authentic.

Within their dialogue one also perceives something profoundly human. Not merely two performers of the highest level, but two musicians capable of transforming the precision and refinement of writing into a listening experience that is warm, generous and surprisingly direct.

In the fiftieth anniversary year of Ceresio Estate, this concert thus becomes an invitation to rediscover the expressive power of detail, colour and resonance: a music that does not seek to occupy space, but to inhabit it with elegance, intimacy and freedom.

BIOGRAPHIES

Duilio Galfetti
Duilio Massimiliano Galfetti, born in Morbio Inferiore, is one of the most appreciated mandolinists on the international scene. A long-standing member of Il Giardino Armonico, he regularly collaborates with I Barocchisti, Accademia Bizantina and other important ensembles specialising in early music. A soloist and chamber musician, he is especially admired for his stylistic refinement and for the naturalness with which he moves through repertoires ranging from the Baroque to the nineteenth century.

Elisa Netzer
Elisa Netzer is one of the most interesting Swiss harpists of her generation. Trained between Parma and the Royal Academy of Music in London, she has appeared as a soloist and chamber musician in Switzerland and abroad. Winner of numerous international competitions, she is appreciated for her brilliant technique, musicality and the versatility of her repertoire.