STARS VON MORGEN - Davide Scarabottolo 13.12.2025

The Italian pianist plays works by Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, Wanke, Stravinsky.

Admission: free Donation.

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The 50th episode of the series Stars of Tomorrow in the first district presented with the 24-year-old Italian DAVIDE SCARABOTTOLO A pianist with strong nerves who knows how to interpret everything from romanticism to expression to intellectual demands. His choice of composers for the evening demonstrates an awareness of style and a willingness to create, with the pieces being consistently onomatopoeic. It begins with BEETHOVEN's three-movement Sonata No. 21 op. Crystal clear in tone and structure, the first and third movements can be played orchestrally by the piano, with the demands, scope and virtuosity of the work being challengingly complex.

A lyrical night music of 5 minutes with a slow main theme, where the melody is played in variations once with the right hand and then with the left hand, followed by Nocturne Op. 55 n.1 in F minor from 1844 by CHOPIN, his 15th composition in this genre. In contrast, CHOPIN's Barcarolle in F sharp major op. 60 dates from 1846. Its 12/8 time is reminiscent of the surging of the water on a boat trip, but it has a typical Chopin, “narrative” character.

FRANZ LISZT wrote his Études d’exécution transcendante (Etudes of supernatural execution) in 1852 the third version of his twelve piano etudes, the first of which he had designed in 1826. SCARABOTTOLO will be theNo. 12 with the title “Chasse-neige” in B minor turns into an elegiac, depressive Snowdrift - although LISZT, interestingly enough, seemed too intellectual to the representatives of Romanticism at the time, despite the title.

This makes the perfect transition to the Czech OTTO, who lives in Austria WANKE (born 1989) and his contemporary work of 5.30 minutes “Aer”.

The crowning finale is the fast piano version of IGOR STRAVINSKY's spirited, imaginative “Fire Work” from 1919, the three-part ballet L'Oiseau de feu, arranged by G. AGOSTI, in which the Russian folk tale “The Firebird” is processed. In it, the magical bird helps a prince in a dramatic manner and with a rapturous lullaby in the middle section to free his true love among thirteen virgins from an evil sorcerer. – A highlight is sure! (text: Elfi Oberhuber)

Program:

L.v. Beethoven:Sonata no.21 op.53 "Waldstein" (1804)
Allegro con brio
Introduzione: Adagio Molto
Rondò: Allegretto grazioso

F. Chopin: Nocturne Op.55 n.1 in F Minor (1842-44)
Barcarolle Op.60 (1846)

F. Liszt: Transcendental Étude no.12 "Chasse-neige" (1852)

Otto Wanke: "Aer" (2018)

I. Stravinsky / G. Agosti: L'Oiseau de feu (1919):
Danse infernale
Berceuse
Finale

Davide Scarabottolo, born in Padua (Italy) in 2001, studied piano from the age of six with Giacomo Dalla Libera up to the piano repertoire for four hands. He then studied piano with Massimo De Ascaniis and Lorella Ruffin Armellini at the Conservatory C. Pollini in Padua, graduating with distinction. Further refinement at the Imola International Piano Academy “Incontri con il Maestro” with Leonid Margarius, Alessandro Taverna and Ingrid Fliter. Finally studied with Lilya Zilberstein at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. Numerous national and international scholarships and prizes. Soloist in chamber music ensembles or with orchestra in various concert halls in and outside Italy.

Otto Wanke was born in the Czech Republic in 1987. He is a composer and music researcher living in Vienna. He initially received his music training in Prague and completed it at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, where he later worked as a research assistant at the chair of ethnomusicology. Since 2020 he has been teaching electro-acoustic composition and multimedia at the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Brno.
Otto Wanke is a laureate of several international awards, his music can be heard in several countries around the world.
In addition to his composing work, the artist performs electro-acoustic music both as a soloist and in collaboration with other musicians.