Classical The Piano Files
The Music Treasury - Joseph Villa lossless

A March 10, 2019 broadcast of KZSU Stanford program The Music Treasury with host Gary Lemco and guest Mark Ainley of The Piano Files presenting the artistry of the late great American pianist Joseph Villa. Villa died tragically young at the age of 46 in 1995, a casualty of the AIDS crisis, having been admired by the cognoscenti but never as widely appreciated by the public as his artistry warranted.

Mark Ainley tells the tale of how International Piano Archives founding president Gregor Benko first introduced him to Villa's pianism in 1991 and then to the pianist himself in 1992. This program features personal reminiscences about Villa, an overview of his remarkable artistry, and a related exploration of some of the market forces that can lead to an artist of his stature not being able to have a notable career. The performances presented here are not for the faint of heart: they feature bold, tempestuous, raw playing of tremendous emotional depth yet also of the most stunning refinement... music-making of the highest order.

The mask depicted on the piano was made by his partner at the time of his death Steven Grey, with news clippings from relevent newspaper clippings, with 'Widmung' highlighted, and photographed on Joseph's piano, affectionately known as 'Franz' - it is reproduced here by permission of Mr. Grey.

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