Cinzia Milani A TRIBUTE TO TERESA DE ROGATIS

Although a tribute to an artist is always a great responsibility, it is also a way of breathing new life into feelings, thoughts, life and art, in this case by focusing on the importance of a particular chapter of guitar history. 

Getting to know Teresa de Rogatis through her manuscripts has been a fascinating form of time travel. The period in which she lived and the places she experienced have come newly alive with the study of the notes that accompany her scores. In some cases these documents even indicate the day and time of composition: for example, in “Bagdad” we read “Teresa de Rogatis, 22 February Thursday 1968 5.30 pm”. 

My musical interpretation aims at expressing the compositional refinement typical of Teresa de Rogatis, the way she reconciled brilliant virtuoso air with an elegantly feminine touch, even when the overall tone is jocular or ironic. The decision to record these pieces on a distinctly modern instrument is simply part of the imaginary dialogue between different periods and the changes they heralded: like glancing backwards while walking towards the future. 

I am especially grateful to Angelo Gilardino for his invaluable collaboration on this project. (Cinzia Milani)