The Sacchi Family were my hosts as compositore-ospite di Lago Como Festival. They are a wonderful, generous, fascinating, talented set of individuals. I want to relate to you first about the great father of the family for a few minutes. Giorgio shared with me some of his deep interests and knowledge of art history, including American painters unknown to me. His deep knowledge springs from 30+ years teaching art history. His "taxi service" driving me from concert to concert came replete with detailed narratives of the ancient churches, villas, towns, roads and geography as we passed through Como, Cadenabbia, Menaggio, Lecco, and other hamlets on the way to my concerts in Varenna, Gravedonna and Cadenabbia.
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| Giorgio at Villa Carlotta July 2010 |
His interest in plants has led to a lifelong pursuit of a botanist's knowledge, especially focused on succulents, cactus and palms. His knowledge, all self-taught, is vast. I enjoyed an afternoon with him at Villa Carlotta. Giorgio could easily be the curator for the museum as well as the enormous gardens there. He has written for journals and hobbyist magazines and produced gorgeous art books about palms and Batik.
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| Bombshell Jane Mansfield, typical variety of the Bobshellus species favored by Giorgio |
He also has an abiding love for some of the early American female bombshell stars of the WW II era, neo-classic architecture, and of course harp music (his daughter Floraleda, is one of the world's greatest harpists.)
I will be composing a suite of pieces about cactuses using Giorgio's own characterization of the plants, and his hand drawn artwork of them, as inspiration.
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