Paolo Dirani is a pianist who has gone beyond the customary role of mere player in his quest for various and brand new artistic arrangements, which he employs to get in intimate touch with his audience.
In his latest show, les fêlures de l’âme (Soul Cracks), he plays the roles of piano player, narrator, playwright and visual editor. les fêlures de l’âme piano solo melodies are all included in the cd bearing the same title and which has recently been released by Mobydick; a peculiar ensemble of short classical pieces, or just fragments of them at times, climbing over one another, producing in so doing a playful mixture of timbre and harmony.
In 2002, Paolo Dirani, along with actor Ivano Marescotti, wrote and staged the show Fairytale Melodies (also available from Pendragon in print and on CD) and Requiem, a Score for Shattered Voices in 2009, with Stefano Tassinari's words spoken by Matteo Belli and the music from Mozart's famous Mass K. 626 transcribed for four-hand piano. In 2014, Dirani resumed his collaboration with Ivano Marescotti for his Tomorrow One More Fairytale, which premiered at the Lugo Opera Festival featuring music by Ravel, Fauré, Bizet, Saint-Saëns and Prokofiev.
Paolo Dirani began his studies at the age of seven under Tina Rani at "Malerbi" Institute in Lugo (Ra), his hometown. At thirteen he was admitted to the course held by Lidia Proietti at "Martini" Conservatory in Bologna where he attained his degree in 1983. He continued his artistic development under Ilonka Deckers, Alessandro Specchi, Boris Bekhterev and Alfons Kontarsky. From 1984 to 1986 he gave his contribution to Severino Gazzelloni’s courses at the Chigiana Academy in Siena. In 1987 he won the Stresa International Contest in the chamber music section for Flute and Piano Duet. He has also performed with the Venezuelan guitar artist Alirio Diaz and with the Fonè Quartet.
Paolo Dirani is the founder and member with partner Mauro Landi of Duo Clavier (four hand piano). For the Fonè label they have recorded important integral works for four-hand piano by Beethoven and Schumann and by many other Italian composers such as Rossini, Busoni, Martucci, Respighi, Casella, Liviabella and Malipiero. Petites Histoires is the latest Duo Clavier’s studio recording; a journey through some of the most meaningful pages of the French twentieth century.
