Unpredictable twist
With "ad aeternam" for violoncello and piano, Daniel Schnyder honors his musician colleague Daniel Pezzotti, who died at an early age.
In October 2017, Zurich cellist Daniel Pezzotti, an extraordinarily versatile musical personality, passed away all too soon after a serious illness: after graduating with distinction from the Zurich Conservatory with Claude Starck, he became a member of the Zurich Opera Orchestra (now the Philharmonia Zurich) in 1986, played in numerous chamber music formations and ensembles and also developed a wide-ranging solo career. His repertoire encompassed the entire cello literature from baroque to contemporary music. Known as an enthusiastic jazz performer, as a lecturer in jazz cello at the Zurich University of the Arts he has inspired numerous music students in this field.
The New York-based Swiss jazz saxophonist and composer Daniel Schnyder often worked with Daniel Pezzotti and composed a sensitive piece for cello (viola) and piano to mark his death. Schnyder writes in the preface to the edition: "The music refers to the first verse of the cantata Come sweet death by J. S. Bach. Ad aeternam reflects the song of life, which is constantly changing and which suddenly, contrary to all expectations, takes a different path than we think."
The recording of the world premiere of ad aeternam at London's Wigmore Hall with Christoph Croisé, cello, and Alexander Panfilov, piano, is available on Youtube:
Daniel Schnyder: ad aeternam - In memoriam Daniel Pezzotti, for violoncello (viola) and piano, GM-1939, Fr. 16.80, Edition Kunzelmann, Adliswil
