Gianluigi Trovesi – All’ Opera: Profumo Di Violetta (2008) [Qobuz FLAC 24bit/96kHz]

Italy’s great musical archaeologist and one of the outstanding improvisers of his country, reed player Gianluigi Trovesi indulges in his love for the emotional drama and musical beauty of Italian opera on Profumo di Violetta. The title simultaneously alludes to the protagonist of Verdi’s famous opera La traviata and to the flower’s sweet perfume. Accompanied by the characteristic North Italian provincial banda, a large wind orchestra with percussion, Trovesi embarks on a humorous journey through the history of the genre, starting with Monteverdi’s Orfeo and including many highlights from La traviata before briefly visiting Mascagni and Puccini. The popular and the sublime, irony and unrestrained pathos meet with an improvisational spirit that conveys the pure joy of music making. Trovesi’s opera project will appeal to both opera lovers and open-minded jazz enthusiasts.

Jazz reed player Gianluigi Trovesi traces his fascination with music to the amateur but passionate performances of his town band when he was a child; he recalls one player who responded so emotionally to the music that he shook and couldn’t continue playing. He pays homage to that ensemble in this album, which uses a band to accompany his solos, in pieces that are mostly arranged from operatic selections. The broad eclecticism of his approach is exemplified in his description of the 21st and 22nd tracks: “Iberian colors punctuate the chapter entitled ‘La gelosia,’ with the preparation for Mascagni that includes the appearance of a twelve-tone row introduced by the trumpet…, of the Habanera by Bizet.” Trovesi is successful because the arrangements (most of which are his, but some of which are by others) are unpretentious and either whimsical or artlessly soulful. The album draws heavily on early opera, particularly Monteverdi, so those tracks sound something like a jazzed-up, loose-limbed version of Respighi’s Ancient Airs and Dances. Trovesi’s playing is subtle and self-effacing, although he has considerable opportunities to shine in his jazz riffs, he always stays within the character of the originals. The sound is excellent, as would be expected from ECM’s Manfred Eicher. The high quality of the playing, arrangements, and production values makes this a crossover album that should have broad appeal, because none of the types of music being merged are compromised in the process, but come across as being freshly imagined.

Tracklist:
01 – Alba
02 – Toccata
03 – Musa
04 – Euridice
05 – Ninfe avernali
06 – Ritornello
07 – Frammenti orfici
08 – Intrecciar ciaccone
09 – “Pur ti miro”
10 – “Stizzoso, mio stizzoso”
11 – Vespone
12 – Profumo di Violetta – Part I
13 – “Ah, fors’è lui che l’anima”
14 – Profumo di Violetta – Part II
15 – Violetta e le altre
16 – “È piquillo, un bel gagliardo”
17 – Salterellando
18 – Antico saltarello
19 – Salterello amoroso
20 – “Largo al factotum”
21 – Aspettando compar alfio
22 – “Il Cavallo Scalpita”
23 – Così, Tosca

Produced by Manfred Eicher. Engineered by Stefano Amerio.
Recorded in September 2006 at Teatro Serassi, Villa d’Almé, Bergamo, Italy.
Edited and Mixed at Artesuono Studio by Savino Acquaviva, Stefano Amerio, Manfred Eicher and Gianluigi Trovesi.

Musicians:
Gianluigi Trovesi – piccolo and alto clarinets, alto saxophone
Marco Remondini – violoncello, electronics
Stefano Bertoli – drums, percussion
+ Filarmonica Mousiké Orchestra – winds and percussion, Conducted by Savino Acquaviva.

Download:

mqs.link_GianluigiTrvesiAllpera.PrfumDiViletta2008Qbuz2496.part1.rar
mqs.link_GianluigiTrvesiAllpera.PrfumDiViletta2008Qbuz2496.part2.rar

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