How was that song? “Graaaazie Roma” (with a bit of vibrato).
Grazie Roma, for welcoming me back again to Italy. And for welcoming me for the first time together with Lisa, Hank and Pedro.
The Dokwerk Saxophone Quartet lands to Italy. Coming to Italy is never the same for me and this time I have seen Rome like never before. It is a love-hate relationship: I am for months at my Dutch place, and I miss my Italian home. Then, we arrive in Italy and it’s all ups and downs to reach the hotel, to survive at the airport and we cannot help but thinking “Why did we do it?”
But in the end, we come on stage, in Italy, after all this time, and that’s when all the answers come clear.
Ok, I wanted to sound sweet and poetic, but let’s be honest…
This is the first thing I thank you for, Rome. I craved for Italian food. I missed it. We all needed it, as a nice way to start. Carbonara at Tonnarello, bellies recharged, and then ready and steady to wander around Rome with Camilla, our personal Italian guide for one magic night.
Day 2: Uh, Heaven is a place on Earth (sorry, I needed some pop music to start)
We spent the following day at the playgrou… I mean, at Il Museo del Saxofono (lit. Saxophone Museum) in Fiumicino, near Rome. Dozens, hundreds, thousands of Saxophones: the most unique and the rarest collection of Saxophones. This is more than a hidden gem, and the Director and Founder of the Museum was great. An inspiring man and a remarkable professional. Mr. Attilio Berni opened us the door of the Museum and guided us in a private tour like no others. This is what I’d call a lasting memory.
Please, welcome on stage the Dokwerk Saxophone Quartet (make a bow, thank you all!)
The Quartet from the Dok of Amsterdam arrives in Rome at the Reate Festival.
So, now we can say it: the first Italian performance for the Dokwerk Saxophone Quartet has been at the Accademia Filarmonica Romana. We shared the stage with the Duo Renda-Truco at the guitar, and with the soloist Valeria Masotrova. We had all won the competition for contemporary music.
This is how Italy has met us: a program of five pieces, different in style and sonorities ranging from Debussy to van Keulen, Rivier and Falla, and a sneak peek of "Negarehaye Rangin" a rather new composition, by my dear friend Ramin Amin Tafreshi, that we will fully première in Italy in December.
Well, yes. The Dokwerk Saxophone Quartet is coming back for another Italian date in December (you should check the agenda!)
May this concert season lead to something wonderful! Is this what we wished at the Trevi’s Fountain? Only the coins know… but stay tuned and, as I always like to say, see you in the future! 😁
