He is one of the most famous Italian concert performers in the world and his recitals are an extraordinary journey into the masterpieces of great music.

Uto Ughi has the good fortune to be able to perform in the most evocative theaters and art venues, bringing with him two treasures of Italian violin making, a Guarneri del Gesù and a Stradivarius.

Based on the characteristics of the room, he chooses each time which tool to use.

The last concert in Sardinia, organized by Stefano Mancini's Cooperative Theater and/or Music at the Teatro Verdi in Sassari, was sold out.

It was February 2020 and Italy would soon enter the nightmare of the global pandemic.

To listen to the Maestro, in what was one of the last concerts in Italy of the pre-covid era, they came from all over the island.

Maestro do you remember that concert? What is the secret to having thousands of people enter a theater to listen to Mozart, Beethoven and other authors of so-called cultured music?

«I remember it very well and it was really exciting, for the situation of disorientation that was beginning to be perceived, especially in Northern Italy, and for the wonderful Sardinian audience. As for the second question, I tell you that there is no predetermined recipe, there are several elements together. In the meantime, I must say right away that I am very happy that many people still listen with great interest to extraordinary music composed by brilliant authors such as Mozart and Beethoven. Nowadays it's not such an obvious factor: it's nice that the taste for real things and authentic things is preserved despite the difficulties of everyday life. And this greatly helps the enjoyment of a symphonic or chamber concert, because there is always an educated audience particularly attentive to beauty».

What is your relationship with Sardinia?

«Apart from nature, which I believe is unique in the world, I find that Sardinia is populated by wonderful people, straightforward people with an almost Beethovenian roughness. I really appreciate the spontaneity and sincerity of the Sardinians. And I am a great admirer of what was one of the greatest writers of all time, Grazia Deledda, I have read and greatly appreciated Canne al Vento. Just think that in the late 90s I bought a house in a wonderful place, in Porto Rafael. Unfortunately in that period I was often away due to concert activity and in a moment of particular stress I was frightened by the force of the wind that resounded in the house. That episode stupidly convinced me to sell it and now you don't even imagine what I would do to get that property back».

You are undoubtedly one of the most famous and sought-after Italian musicians in the world: how do you live this success that has lasted for more than 50 years?

«I could define Success as a consequence of very hard work, even if one is never happy with what one achieves over time. When you think you've achieved a certain ideal of beauty, the next day it feels like it's slipping away from you."

You are a great popularizer of music, especially among young people. What more could be done to bring new audiences closer to the chamber and symphonic repertoire?

«Young people have an open sensibility when it isn't marred by negative or destructive music, as I define them, especially the younger ones, those who attend primary school. At this age, therefore in the range between six and eight years, they have a more receptive mind and are more easily directed towards a musical genre, such as the symphonic and chamber repertoire, with the intention of making them discover it in order to leave them a positive trace that can then resurface in adolescence. I really like the contact with young people because I can explain in words the meaning of a composition that I have to interpret. This dialogue allows me to somehow anticipate the sensations that are generated in the listener thanks to the union between the melody and the harmony created by the author».

Some time ago, his comment on the Måneskin animated a heated debate in all the press organs, unleashing a real war on social media. Why did you choose them?

«I don't have it in particular with the Måneskin, I take it out on those who scream and shout instead of making music in the highest sense of the term. With this I don't want to discriminate between genres, because I also really appreciate popular music, a source of inspiration for great composers, both past and present. If an artist claims to make music screaming without complying with general rules of good taste and respect for universal parameters, he will not be able to find my artistic approval: I think it is difficult, for an average listener, even with a basic musical culture, to reproduce a melody by heart disconnected and screamed».

In the past he had expressed himself on Giovanni Allevi, provoking a similar debate. Did you hear that the pianist and composer is now battling myeloma?

"Yes, I heard about this disease and I'm really sorry."

When will he return to play in Sardinia?

«I hope very soon, your land is one of the most beautiful places in the world and I always come very willingly even if I miss that beautiful house in Porto Rafael so much».

LP

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