Lumière du temps Lucilla Rose Mariotti, Alessio Enea

• Sir Edward Elgar (1857 - 1934): Chanson de nuit and chanson de matin, Op. 15:
• 1 Elgar: Chanson de nuit and chanson de matin, Op. 15: No. 2, Chanson de matin 02:45
• Alfredo D’Ambrosio (1871 - 1914): Canzonetta No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 6:
• 2 D’Ambrosio: Canzonetta No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 6 03:20
• Romance in D Major, Op. 9:
• 3 D’Ambrosio: Romance in D Major, Op. 9 04:44
• Berceuse in G Major, Op. 15:
• 4 D’Ambrosio: Berceuse in G Major, Op. 15 03:14
• Rêverie in A Major, Op. 18:
• 5 D’Ambrosio: Rêverie in A Major, Op. 18 03:16
• 2 Pieces, Op. 38:
• 6 D’Ambrosio: 2 Pieces, Op. 38: No. 1, Aveu 04:50
• 7 D’Ambrosio: 2 Pieces, Op. 38: No. 2, Le rouet 04:05
• Romance in G Major, Op. 27:
• 8 D’Ambrosio: Romance in G Major, Op. 27 06:27
• Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873 - 1943): 2 Morceaux de salon, Op. 6:
• 9 Rachmaninoff: 2 Morceaux de salon, Op. 6: No. 1, Romance 05:21
• 10 Rachmaninoff: 2 Morceaux de salon, Op. 6: No. 2, Hungarian Dance 05:12
• Sir Edward Elgar: Romance in E Minor, Op. 1:
• 11 Elgar: Romance in E Minor, Op. 1 04:44
• Claude Debussy (1862 - 1918): Valse romantique, L. 71 (Arr. for Violin & Piano by Alexandre Roelens):
• 12 Debussy: Valse romantique, L. 71 (Arr. for Violin & Piano by Alexandre Roelens) 03:53
• Lili Boulanger (1893 - 1918): 2 Pieces for Violin & Piano:
• 13 Boulanger: 2 Pieces for Violin & Piano: No. 1, Nocturne. Assez lent 02:54
• 14 Boulanger: 2 Pieces for Violin & Piano: No. 2, Cortège. Pas vite 01:49
• Sir Edward Elgar: Chanson de nuit and chanson de matin, Op. 15:
• 15 Elgar: Chanson de nuit and chanson de matin, Op. 15: No. 1, Chanson de nuit 03:20
• Adieu (Arr. for Violin & Piano by Joseph Szigeti):
• 16 Elgar: Adieu (Arr. for Violin & Piano by Joseph Szigeti) 02:41
• Total Runtime 01:02:35

Info for Lumière du temps

Lumière du Temps invites listeners into the musical landscape of the Belle Époque, often referred to as a golden era for the arts, brought to life through the sound of a 1709 Antonio Stradivari violin, crafted during the luthier’s legendary Golden Period.

The programme unfolds like a single day, beginning with Edward Elgar’s Chanson de Matin (Morning Song), Op.15 No. 2, a graceful miniature composed around 1889-90. Often seen as the brighter companion to the more reflective Chanson de Nuit, this piece sets a delightful tone for the morning with its delicate charm. Elgar himself described it as a “cheerful” piece in a note to his publisher, and it indeed glows with the freshness of early light, as if capturing a breeze of morning optimism and transforming it into sound.

The central hours unfold with intimate pieces by Alfredo D’Ambrosio, a Neapolitan-born violinist-composer who studied in London before settling in Paris, where he was celebrated in the salons of the Belle Époque for his lyrical musical sketches that evoke the atmosphere of private gatherings, whispered conversations, and romantic reveries. His Canzonetta, Berceuse, the two Romanzas, Rêverie, Aveu, and La Route form the emotional core of this album that feels almost like diary entries, delicate portraits in sound, full of charm and expressive nuance. Playing these pieces, I found myself immersed in their intimate moods, as if stepping into the salons where they first came to life. Each belongs to a popular miniature genre of the time: the berceuse, a gentle lullaby; the rêverie, a dreamlike meditation; the aveu, a personal confession; and the romanza, a lyrical song without words.

As the sun begins to set, the music turns eastward, catching the twilight glow of another cultural world touched by the spirit of the salon. Sergei Rachmaninov’s 2 Morceaux de Salon, composed when he was just twenty, capture both the youthful lyricism and emotional depth that would come to define his voice. The tender Romance offers a moment of introspection, music that seems to flicker like candlelight, while the spirited Danse Hongroise bursts with rhythmic vitality and brilliance. Though written far from Paris, these pieces echo the same elegance and expressive immediacy that made salon music so beloved.

As evening deepens, Edward Elgar’s Romance Op.1, one of his earliest published works, brings with it a tender melancholy and lyrical warmth, like a glance in the mirror at the end of a long day. As I interpreted this piece, I felt its quiet reflection deeply, an invitation to slow down and listen closely. This piece leads naturally into Claude Debussy’s Valse Romantique, heard here in a graceful transcription for violin and piano. Originally written for solo piano, this waltz lingers gently between dream and memory, light and shadow, music that seems to move through perfumed rooms and fading reflections.

The voice of evening becomes unmistakably feminine in Nocturne and Cortège by Lili Boulanger, a French composer and musician whose life was heartbreakingly brief. In 1913, at just nineteen, she became the first woman to win the prestigious Prix de Rome composition prize. These miniatures capture the fleeting poetry of dusk, blending Impressionist colours with emotional intimacy. Brief and radiant, they speak in a voice at once delicate and spirited, like the shimmer of silk just as night begins to fall. Unmistakably modern, they offer a glimpse of tomorrow on the horizon.

The album closes as it began, with Edward Elgar. Chanson de Nuit was originally composed under the title Evensong, and though Elgar suggested Vespers as an alternative, it was published under the French title to better suit the tastes of the time. This tender counterpart to the opening Chanson de Matin brings a sense of calm and closure, like a softening of the light. Finally, Adieu, in Joseph Szigeti’s graceful arrangement for violin and piano, offers the quietest of farewells, not just the goodnight of a day but a farewell to an era. Its last notes fade like twilight into darkness. As I played and recorded this piece, I felt deeply that what remains after the final note fades is more than music. It is a feeling, a presence, a sense of having wandered, for a moment, through another world. (Lucilla Rose Mariotti)

Lucilla Rose Mariotti, violin
Alessio Enea, piano

Lucilla Rose Mariotti
born in 2001, is a renowned violinist, celebrated for her charisma, warm tone, and enviable technical mastery. In 2025, she performed for Their Majesties, King Charles III and The Queen Consort at Highgrove House during an event organized by the Italian Embassy in the UK. In 2024, she toured Australia as a soloist, performing at Winthrop Hall in Perth, the QPAC in Brisbane, and the Sydney Opera House.

A laureate of numerous international competitions, Lucilla won both the First Prize and the Audience Prize at the inaugural Violins & Soul Salon Music Violin Competition at the 2023 Amadeus Festival in Vienna and was awarded a prestigious two-year loan of a 1709 Stradivari violin from the Goh Family Collection. Additionally, in the same year, she received the Daniele Gay Award, established by violinist Francesca Dego.

Lucilla has performed at iconic venues including Wigmore Hall and the Royal Albert Hall in London, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York, Teatro La Fenice in Venice, and Teatro alla Scala in Milan. As a soloist, she has appeared with orchestras across Europe, Australia, and South America, including a performance with the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, representing Italy at the European Festival of Soloists in Venezuela.

A passionate interpreter of both solo and chamber repertoire, Lucilla has appeared at major international festivals. She was awarded scholarships to attend the International Musicians Seminar at Prussia Cove in Cornwall and the Keshet Eilon Mastercourse in Altea, Spain.

Lucilla graduated summa cum laude with special distinction from the Conservatory Bruno Maderna in Cesena, Italy, in 2020, having studied from the age of eight with Marco Fornaciari. She went on to complete both a Master of Performance and an Artist Diploma at the Royal College of Music in London, under the guidance of Itzhak Rashkovsky, where she was a Carne Junior Fellow. During her time at the RCM, she was also supported by the Anne & Brian Wadsworth Scholarship, Help Musicians, and the Albert Cooper Music Charitable Trust, and was named a 2023 Boise Scholar. She has also pursued advanced studies in the Solo Class at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover, supported by the Förderkreis der HMTMH, with Krzysztof Węgrzyn.

Alessio Enea
Italian pianist Alessio Enea was a finalist in the prestigious national competition Premio Venezia in 2015. He has performed in renowned venues including Teatro La Fenice, the Sale Apollinee, MAC in Milan, the Harry Bertoia Gallery in Pordenone, Villa Tesoriera in Turin, Teatro Politeama in Palermo, LAC in Lugano, the Lugano Concert Hall CSI, Piano City Milan, and the Monteverdi Auditorium in Mantua.

In 2016, he made his orchestral debut performing Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto. Since then, he has been supported by the Lyra Foundation and has performed across Switzerland as a selected concert artist. He has attended masterclasses with Homero Francesch and Vladimir Ashkenazy, and chamber music sessions with Macha Yanouchevsky, Pavel Berman, Klaidi Sahatchi, Massimo Quarta, and Saiko Sasaki.

Alessio completed two Master’s degrees with honours in Performance and Pedagogy in Lugano, and later studied with Dmitri Alexeev at the Royal College of Music in London, supported by the Charles Napper Award and the Gary & Eleanor Brass Scholarship. During his time at the RCM, he was awarded the Adami Fellow Award for the string department for two consecutive years as their accompanist. He recently completed the Artist Diploma in Collaborative Piano with honours under Prof. Simon Lepper.

He currently works as a chamber music coach and accompanist at the Royal College of Music. Upcoming engagements include duo performances across Italy, France, and the UK.

This album contains no booklet.