A new positive review has been published following the world premiere of Valentina Scheldhofen Ciardelli’s “Concertino No. 1 – Into the Forest”, presented on July 8 as part of Festival Toscanini in Parma.

Commissioned by Fondazione Arturo Toscanini, the work was performed by the Ensemble de La Toscanini with Anna Astesano, harp, and Valentina Scheldhofen Ciardelli, double bass, appearing both as composer and soloist.

The review particularly praised both the writing and Ciardelli’s virtuosity as a performer, highlighting the technical demands of the double bass part and the work’s wide-ranging timbral imagination:

“From the very first bars, it is immediately clear whether the performer is a virtuoso of the instrument: entire melodic lines are built from harmonics, each phrased with skill and confidence”.

The critic also highlighted the close musical understanding between Ciardelli and harpist Anna Astesano, describing them as being “in absolute harmony” throughout a score of considerable complexity.

The review concludes by calling Fondazione Toscanini’s commission “a winning bet”, praising the work’s “rich and evocative kaleidoscope” and its ability to engage both specialist and general audiences.