As a small thank you for the precious guide that the Master Angelo Gilardino represented for us, in the various forms of art, as well as in that of living, the we gave away, in the early 1990s, a book with reproductions of some of the most famous paintings from the Swedish art treasure.

Among the many works depicted in that publication, Angelo particularly liked a painting by Karl Nordström (1855-1923) Vinterafton vid Roslagstull (Winter Evening in Roslagstull). This work was for him a source of inspiration for the "Winter Poem" (for solo guitar and guitar duo) dedicated to Bengt Magnusson.

Angelo was very moved when we told him that in the days in which he composed this piece, we had been in Karl Nordström's house in Tjörn, in the Gothenburg archipelago.

The painting depicts a typical Swedish winter landscape. The ground is covered in snow, no human figures are present, some windows are lit. There is desolation and serenity at the same time. This is how Angelo described his first visit to Sweden. He told us how on the first evening, arriving directly from the airport, he went to the Italian Cultural Institute in Stockholm in Royal Djurgården.

He was alone in the large building, and outside the window it was snowing heavily. He stood there watching. There was no one on the streets.

The serenity and desolation are a chimera... this was Angelo's interpretation of that painting, there is an activity and a movement that we do not perceive. Under the snow cover, everything grows with great strength and energy to resist the cold. Behind the windows dramatic events take place . It is the busiest time of the year, but nothing is visible…

We don't see it because everything is happening beneath the surface, behind the doors. A beautiful metaphor, sure, but perhaps also a self-portrait? On the surface, Angelo was always calm, calm, thoughtful, but you could sense that beneath the surface there was a passionate, imaginative and brilliant person. Even his fantastic compositions, so dramatic and emotional, reflect his personality.​

Maestro Angelo Gilardino, thank you for everything you have generously given to us two. We wouldn't be the same if we hadn't had the great fortune of meeting you on our path.

 

Suzanne Rangstedt, actress

Bengt Magnusson, guitarist