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Stefano Battaglia: Pelagos
ByPelagos returns to Battaglia's earlier ECM double-disc presentations and is the pianist's first solo recording. The music is all composed or improvised by Battaglia with the exception of a traditional Arab piece "Lamma Bada Yatathanna" which appears in two versions. The initial thirty minutes of the first disc encompass "Destino," the title track, "Migralia" and the first version of "Lamma Bada Yatathanna." These tracks alone are so staggeringly beautiful that they are worth the price of admission. Each reflects Battaglia's classical background, but they fall into no particular category. The mood is temporarily broken by the tonal experimentation of "Processional" and the prepared piano abstraction of "Dogon."
Disc 2 is a bit spottier in terms of consistency, opening with the minimalist "Lampedusa" and followed by "Hora Mundi," featuring a mash-up of torrential notes, rests and tranquil passages. Battaglia then returns to a more meditative mood with the second version of "Lamma Bada Yatathanna" and "Exilium" though the latter piece ends unexpectedlyand somewhat jarringlywith more prepared piano. After a bit more experimentation on "Heron," the second disc ends tranquilly with "Brenner Toccata."
Much of Pelagos is profoundly good and it is certainly the best work Battaglia has created to date. His fully improvised pieces have a composed feeling about them that is reminiscent of Keith Jarrett's best solo work. When he leaves those classically informed pieces for the outlands it can be frustrating, not because of the music, but its disconcerting placement. Some may wish that Battaglia had dedicated each disc by style as he had done on Raccolto. That said, Pelagos contains much beautiful and highly recommended music.
Track Listing
CD 1:
Destino; Pelagos; Migralia; Lamma Bada Yatathanna; Processional; Halap; Dogon; Life.
CD 2:
Lampedusa; Hora Mundi; Lamma Bada Yatathanna (var.); Exilium; Migration Mantra; Horgos e Roszke; Ufratu; Heron; Brenner Toccata.
Personnel
Stefano Battaglia
pianoStefano Battaglia: piano and prepared piano.
Album information
Title: Pelagos | Year Released: 2017 | Record Label: ECM Records
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About Stefano Battaglia
Instrument: Piano
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