This austerely beautiful cycle of songs and recitations for voice, bass clarinet, and percussion was co-composed by vocalist Giulia Cianca and bass clarinetist Marco Colonna, who are joined by percussionist Lorenzo D’Erasmo. The melodic motifs, which have a modal flavor, are elegantly simple and set out with a classically sharp clarity that allows for elaboration and dramatic, dynamic flights when the emotional force of the music calls for it. Cianci’s voice and Colonna’s bass clarinet are both highly refined instruments capable of conveying a wide emotional range both through conventional and extended techniques; their interplay, whether moving in unison or in counterpoint, is precise and naturally complementary. The pitches, rhythms, and timbres of D’Erasmo’s muted frame drumming lend the ensemble a surprising, yet entirely fitting, pre-Baroque flavor—in fact, there are times when the performance sounds like it was conjured from the recollection of a previously undiscovered proto-opera. Just a wonderful piece of music.
Daniel Barbiero
Avant Music News 