They are right. I received my musical training in Italy, and this is my country, but even so, one does need a bit of luck to succeed here. I have had several breaks. The first and most important was having such an exceptional teacher as Ton Koopman. Then, at the very beginning of my career, I also had the good fortune to meet a group of like-minded musicians and friends who shared my enthusiasm for this kind of music and who had a musical energy similar to my own. The experience I gained playing with various small ensembles was pivotal, and it was there that I learned how to be a musician.

Many Italian musicians achieve greater recognition, or at least perform more often, outside Italy. What is the explanation for that?

It does seem absurd that, although Italy was for centuries at the forefront of music, ever since the overwhelming success of lyric opera in the 19th century, the country has been wary of all earlier musical forms. This is not the case with early music in general, but rather early music performed on period instruments. Such attitudes are still prevalent in certain circles, especially in the media and among concert organisers. Playing on period instruments in Italy still puts one in an odd category; it is regarded as an aesthetic option rather than a natural development arising from research and scholarship in the history of music. This view stems from the educational reform carried out by Benedetto Croce in the early decades of the 20th century, which led to music being considered a minor art form, compared with literature and painting. The old educational system is still very much alive, with the result that music is not taught in schools. The view that those arts that do not imitate nature are minor arts has also meant that Italian society has found it very difficult to adapt to the process of renewal in performing techniques, a phenomenon that has occurred very successfully in other European countries. Basically, the old Italian hobbyhorse is that ‘music is not something to be understood’, which means that it automatically becomes something remote and inapprehensible. It is also universally accepted that opera should receive the lion’s share of state funding for the support and dissemination of music in general. That is why it is so difficult to find an audience for early music concerts.

Do you have the impression that things are different elsewhere in Europe?

As I am regularly invited to give concerts in France and Spain, I have had the opportunity to find out about the state of music in those countries. I think there is a particular enthusiasm for early music in Spain right now, rather as there was some years ago in France. It’s vital that a new, younger audience is encouraged in Italy, but we are not helped by the present social and economic conditions.

Teacher of early music

As a teacher at the Trapani and Lugano Conservatoires, you are in an ideal position to get that message across to young people.

As well as teaching the harpsichord, I try to promote a variety of activities connected with early music. I encourage students to play in groups, and in particular I try to communicate and pass on to them a love for this repertoire. In Italy, because of the way conservatoires are structured, students can only enrol in the harpsichord course once they have obtained a diploma in organ or piano. Therefore, my students come to me with a solid technical training but no knowledge of the repertoire, except for Bach, of course. The majority react very well and develop a deep love of the music. It’s important to explain to them what is implicit in the score, showing them through interpretation all those elements that, while not written down, need to be read between the lines. Chamber music is another case in point; it is generally regarded as a type of music suited to less gifted players who don’t have what it takes to become soloists. This is a total misconception that has resulted in a great deal of confusion.