Alessandro Grego

Anima, as a concept album, completes multiple paths. It is a series of variations of The solitary reaper - the first track, an early composition of mine - whose theme music winds along the tracks on the CD in a musical journey from the Renaissance to the present day. It is a succession of sonic textures and dances that have contributed musically and acoustically to "Anima", dance theater show by Luciano Roman and Silvia Giuffrè, a journey around Leonardo da Vinci's world and into his genius. It is a research on the possibilities of the timbre of the viol, a Renaissance/Baroque instrument, which here serves as the center of gravity of the entire tonal compositional development. It is a tribute to Carlo Denti (1949-2013), the only interpreter of the first track and the main sonic presence in almost all the others. With Carlo, including recordings, sampling, and other pleasant social occasions, we fantasized and worked on the making of these ideas since 1995, still not knowing what they would bring. The result contained in this work, is dedicated to his anima. Carlo and I have been working on these ideas since 1995, from time to time, during recordings, samplings, in informal meetings, still not knowing what they would bring. I gave form to that material in this work, dedicated to his anima.

Anima, come concept album, completa più percorsi: è una serie di variazioni sul tema musicale di The solitary reaper, una mia composizione giovanile che sentiamo quale primo brano, che si snoda lungo le tracce del CD in un percorso musicale dal Rinascimento ai nostri giorni; è una successione di tessiture sonore e danze che hanno contribuito acusticamente e musicalmente all’omonimo spettacolo di teatrodanza di Luciano Roman e Silvia Giuffrè, viaggio nel mondo e nel genio di Leonardo; è una ricerca sulle possibilità timbriche della viola da gamba, strumento rinascimentale e barocco, che qui funge da baricentro timbrico dell’intero sviluppo compositivo; è un omaggio a Carlo Denti (1949-2013), unico interprete del primo brano e principale presenza sonora in quasi tutti gli altri. Con Carlo, tra registrazioni, sampling, ed altri piacevoli momenti conviviali, abbiamo fantasticato e lavorato sulla realizzazione di queste idee fin dal 1995, senza ancora sapere a cosa esse avrebbero portato. Il risultato, quest’opera, è dedicato alla sua anima.

This CD brings together eight composition for piano freely inspired by the plays of Samuel Beckett. Each piece has a different rule that the composer uses as a constraint constructive compositional procedure. The composer believes that the idea of coercion is a key element in the work of Beckett. The first and the last track are special because, in addition to the piano, you can hear other sounds. Furthermore, the first piece has the function of preparing the listening subsequent ones, while the latter serves as a leave from listening. The writing style of the pieces is deliberately eclectic: the basic rule has no influence on this, but only on the structural elements.