Born in the Veneto region of northern Italy, Giuliano Carmignola is known as a specialist in 18th-century music. In early 2011, he had agreed with DG to release two new albums in quick succession, the first featuring works by Haydn, the second devoted to Vivaldi. Carmignola had already made several albums for the label since 2005, recording with both the Venice Baroque Orchestra under Andrea Marcon and the Orchestra Mozart under Claudio Abbado.
When Carmignola and the DG team were considering which photographer to commission for the forthcoming projects, it occurred to the violinist to suggest his daughter Anna. She had started taking pictures with an SLR camera as a teenager and then expanded her knowledge of photographic technique and visual composition in parallel with her history of art studies. By the time of her father’s discussions with DG, she had already started working regularly as an assistant to professional photographers as well as undertaking her own smaller-scale projects, so this was an ideal opportunity for her to work independently and put everything she’d learned into practice. Anna Carmignola recalls the project exclusively for this Cover Story:
“At that time I’d already started working as a photographer, not on a regular basis, but with a few small projects here and there. Then one day my father asked me to take the photos for his next DG CD cover. I was sure the label wouldn’t agree to use my work, but I was wrong. That was one of the first photo shoots my father and I ever did together. The pictures were taken in the garden at my parents’ house, in the countryside near Treviso, Veneto. It was a really enjoyable day, and I took a few photos of my father with his motorbike, just for fun. Neither of us thought DG would like them, let alone end up using them.”
The rest of the portraits she mentions show her musician father relaxing in an idyllic natural setting, violin in hand or by his side:
One of the other shots from this series had already been chosen for the cover of the Vivaldi album’s predecessor – Carmignola’s recordings of Haydn’s three surviving violin concertos made with the Orchestre des Champs-Élysées and conductor Alessandro Moccia, released in early 2012.
The really sensational pictures from this shoot, however, were those of Carmignola on his motorbike (without a violin in sight). He had recently fulfilled a long-held dream by buying a Moto Guzzi Nevada 750 – a classic of Italian motorcycle design. Interviewed for this Cover Story, the violinist remembered how his passion for motorbikes began and what these machines mean to him:
I’ve been a motorcyclist since I was 16, when I got my driver’s licence and bought my first bike, an ISOMOTO 125. The obvious choice would have been to get a Vespa, but I’ve never been a great fan of them. I’ve always thought that riding a motorbike is like riding a horse, whereas being on a Vespa is like sitting on the sofa! I usually ride my bike up in the mountains, the Dolomites, my favourite place in the world, and it gives me a feeling of freedom – it’s like I’m flying.
The DG team were thrilled with the photos, because the juxtaposition of Baroque specialist and motorbike was just the kind of distinctive image they’re always looking for when it comes to finding the perfect cover for each and every meticulously prepared and recorded album. Carmignola himself was surprised by how well the image worked:
“I never expected DG to choose THAT one as a cover photo, since it came out of a session where we were just playing around a bit. The mock-up came as a complete surprise, but I have to admit it was a great idea – it came out pretty well!”
So the cover decision was quickly made and a second image from the same session was included in the album booklet. However, the picture showing the violinist’s noble steed in all its glory is appearing here for the very first time.
A good pair of sunglasses is an essential in the bright summer sunshine of the Veneto, so it’s no surprise that Carmignola had his Ray-Ban Aviators with him. Originally developed to protect the eyes of US Army Air Corps pilots from bright sunlight at high altitudes, this 1937 model of sunglasses has become a design classic that continues to outlive any passing trend. Aviators have long been the go-to accessory in Hollywood when it comes to suggesting coolness and style, adorning the faces of such iconic characters as Tom Cruise’s fighter pilot in Top Gun (1986) or Marlon Brando’s biker in The Wild One (1953).
Even if Giuliano Carmignola isn’t a member of a biker gang like Brando’s Johnny, the title Vivaldi con moto, chosen after a brainstorming session I had with Italian-speaking and Italy-loving product manager Burkhard Bartsch, reinforces the visual image on the cover, because moto is Italian for motorbike (including the ubiquitous scooter whose buzzing and beeping are as much a part of the Italian soundscape as is the music of Vivaldi or Puccini).
But in a musical context – as DG fans hardly need to be told – con moto is also a tempo designation, one that’s often used to qualify another indication: Andante con moto or Allegro con moto, for example. In the case of Carmignola’s Vivaldi album, “with movement”, to give the phrase its literal translation, represents an artistic flexibility that inspires him to explore different paths in his interpretations. Lack of movement leads to stagnation, while a constant quest for new performance approaches is what keeps music alive. Ceaselessly striving for innovation and creative freedom: this is the philosophy embraced by Deutsche Grammophon and its artists.
It’s also very important to DG, however, that its artists fully identify with the visual design used for their recordings. In the case of Carmignola & Carmignola, this worked out particularly well – both father and daughter have fond memories of their collaboration, which continued for two further DG albums, both featuring music by Johann Sebastian Bach.
Anna Carmignola:
“I’m not saying it’s easy to photograph your father though – I think sometimes working with someone so close to you can be even more difficult. To have one of my photos chosen for a DG album cover was a great honour, but I didn’t really realise how big a deal it was until I saw the CDs with my photos on display in a huge music store. That was so exciting!”
Giuliano Carmignola:
“I’m more at ease and behave more naturally when I’m being photographed by my daughter. She’s very good at catching my most meaningful facial expressions. Actually, I think she’s responsible for all the best photos on my album covers.”
