Re: Pasolini
Encyclopedia
Re: Pasolini is a double album by Italian pianist Stefano Battaglia
, recorded in 2005 and released in 2007 on the ECM label. The album is dedicated to the figure of filmmaker and writer Pier Paolo Pasolini
. The cover artwork features a still from The Gospel According to St. Matthew
, considered one of his masterwork films.
"Canzone di Laura Betti", as the title suggests, is dedicated to actress Laura Betti
. "Totò e Ninetto" was named after actors Totò
and Ninetto Davoli
: actually, the title refers to the political statement The Hawks and the Sparrows
, where the actors play two clergymen preaching whilst prowling around aimlessly. "Canto Popolare" is an aria which pays homage to Italian traditional folk songs. "Fevrar", meaning "February", is a reference to an early poem by Pasolini, written in Friulan dialect; Battaglia defines the composition a homage "to the undefinable light of Friuli, a dance inspired by its borders and boundaries." "Il Sogno di una Cosa" ("The Dream of a Thing") is a nostalgic look at an archaic Italy now vanished, whilst
the glum "Teorema" is a reference to the film of the same name. "Callas" obviously brings back to mind famous opera singer Maria Callas
, whom took part in Pasolini's Medea. Originally, the piece should have featured piano, strings and percussion. The track which closes the first disc is "Pietra Lata", named after a neighbourhood of Rome
. The song should portrait the Rome described in the works of Rossellini
and Pasolini, "where the city is revelead in its vital figure through its metamorphosis: the biting glow of the Roman sky on bridges stones, the bright prisons of car's metal, the scorching and almost oily dust of the summer's breeze, the rain-soaked streets at night, the asphalt mirroring the reflections of the windows and the street lamps[...], a melancholic, merciless Rome."
The second disc opens with "Lyra", a hymn to Pasolini himself and his poetic side. The composition is a series of eight brief, free-form variations - originally, fifteen pieces were recorded. "Meditazione Orale" ("Oral Meditation") is based on an audio recording featuring music by Ennio Morricone
and the original text of the same name issued in 1974, while "Scritti Corsari" refers to Pasolini's fighting side, his approach towards politics and ethic. Similarly, "Setaccio" focuses on the figure of the young Pasolini developing his artistic interests. "Mimesis, Divina Mimesis" should represent "the dialogue, the fight between what is real and its mimesis." The title also refers to Pasolini's Divina Mimesis, a rereading of Dante's Divine Comedy. "Ostia" is named after the town near Rome, where Pasolini was mysteriously and brutally murdered on November 1, 1975. The piece wants to depict "Pasolini's last heartbeats, a soundtrack to that violent and gory tragedy." Ultimately, "Pasolini" is the result of a fusion between two pieces, one of which inspired by Pasolini playing soccer. It was the first piece written by Battaglia to honour the filmmaker.
Disc One
Disc Two
Disc Two:
Stefano Battaglia
Stefano Battaglia is an Italian classical and jazz pianist.He has played extensively on the international circuit, performing as a soloist with the European Youth Orchestra in Barcelona , and winning the "J.S...
, recorded in 2005 and released in 2007 on the ECM label. The album is dedicated to the figure of filmmaker and writer Pier Paolo Pasolini
Pier Paolo Pasolini
Pier Paolo Pasolini was an Italian film director, poet, writer, and intellectual. Pasolini distinguished himself as a poet, journalist, philosopher, linguist, novelist, playwright, filmmaker, newspaper and magazine columnist, actor, painter and political figure...
. The cover artwork features a still from The Gospel According to St. Matthew
The Gospel According to St. Matthew (film)
The Gospel According to St. Matthew is a 1964 Italian film directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini. It is a retelling of the story of Jesus Christ, from the Nativity through the Resurrection....
, considered one of his masterwork films.
The compositions
The album is split over two discs: the first one features a well-planned, slow-tempo track list; the second shows more subdued and improvised hues, and the pieces become more lackadaisical."Canzone di Laura Betti", as the title suggests, is dedicated to actress Laura Betti
Laura Betti
Laura Betti was an Italian actress.Born Laura Trombetti in Bologna, this blonde and flamboyant actress started her career as jazz singer. Betti made her film debut in Federico Fellini's La dolce vita. In 1963 she became a close friend of the poet and movie director Pier Paolo Pasolini, for whom...
. "Totò e Ninetto" was named after actors Totò
Totò
Prince Antonio Focas Flavio Angelo Ducas Comneno De Curtis di Bisanzio Gagliardi, best known by his stage name Totò and nicknamed il principe della risata was an Italian comedian, film and theatre actor, writer, singer and songwriter...
and Ninetto Davoli
Ninetto Davoli
Ninetto Davoli is an Italian actor who became known through his roles in several of Pier Paolo Pasolini's films.-Biography:Davoli was born in San Pietro a Maida, Calabria...
: actually, the title refers to the political statement The Hawks and the Sparrows
The Hawks and the Sparrows
The Hawks and the Sparrows is a 1966 Italian film directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini. It was entered into the 1966 Cannes Film Festival.The movie is a post-neorealist story about Totò, the beloved stone-faced clown of Italian folk-stories. Totò and his son Ninetto, roam the neighbourhood and the...
, where the actors play two clergymen preaching whilst prowling around aimlessly. "Canto Popolare" is an aria which pays homage to Italian traditional folk songs. "Fevrar", meaning "February", is a reference to an early poem by Pasolini, written in Friulan dialect; Battaglia defines the composition a homage "to the undefinable light of Friuli, a dance inspired by its borders and boundaries." "Il Sogno di una Cosa" ("The Dream of a Thing") is a nostalgic look at an archaic Italy now vanished, whilst
the glum "Teorema" is a reference to the film of the same name. "Callas" obviously brings back to mind famous opera singer Maria Callas
Maria Callas
Maria Callas was an American-born Greek soprano and one of the most renowned opera singers of the 20th century. She combined an impressive bel canto technique, a wide-ranging voice and great dramatic gifts...
, whom took part in Pasolini's Medea. Originally, the piece should have featured piano, strings and percussion. The track which closes the first disc is "Pietra Lata", named after a neighbourhood of Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. The song should portrait the Rome described in the works of Rossellini
Roberto Rossellini
Roberto Rossellini was an Italian film director and screenwriter. Rossellini was one of the directors of the Italian neorealist cinema, contributing films such as Roma città aperta to the movement.-Early life:Born in Rome, Roberto Rossellini lived on the Via Ludovisi, where Benito Mussolini had...
and Pasolini, "where the city is revelead in its vital figure through its metamorphosis: the biting glow of the Roman sky on bridges stones, the bright prisons of car's metal, the scorching and almost oily dust of the summer's breeze, the rain-soaked streets at night, the asphalt mirroring the reflections of the windows and the street lamps[...], a melancholic, merciless Rome."
The second disc opens with "Lyra", a hymn to Pasolini himself and his poetic side. The composition is a series of eight brief, free-form variations - originally, fifteen pieces were recorded. "Meditazione Orale" ("Oral Meditation") is based on an audio recording featuring music by Ennio Morricone
Ennio Morricone
Ennio Morricone, Grand Officer OMRI, , is an Italian composer and conductor, who wrote music to more than 500 motion pictures and television series, in a career lasting over 50 years. His scores have been included in over 20 award-winning films as well as several symphonic and choral pieces...
and the original text of the same name issued in 1974, while "Scritti Corsari" refers to Pasolini's fighting side, his approach towards politics and ethic. Similarly, "Setaccio" focuses on the figure of the young Pasolini developing his artistic interests. "Mimesis, Divina Mimesis" should represent "the dialogue, the fight between what is real and its mimesis." The title also refers to Pasolini's Divina Mimesis, a rereading of Dante's Divine Comedy. "Ostia" is named after the town near Rome, where Pasolini was mysteriously and brutally murdered on November 1, 1975. The piece wants to depict "Pasolini's last heartbeats, a soundtrack to that violent and gory tragedy." Ultimately, "Pasolini" is the result of a fusion between two pieces, one of which inspired by Pasolini playing soccer. It was the first piece written by Battaglia to honour the filmmaker.
Track listing
All compositions by Stefano Battaglia, unless otherwise noted.Disc One
- "Canzone di Laura Betti" - 5:00
- "Totò e Ninetto" - 4:47
- "Canto Popolare" - 5:04
- "Cosa Sono le Nuvole" (Modugno, Pasolini) - 7:15
- "Fevrar" - 9:10
- "Il Sogno di una Cosa" - 4:49
- "Teorema" - 10:41
- "Callas" - 5:07
- "Pietra Lata" - 10:08
Disc Two
- "Lyra I" - 1:12
- "Lyra II" 3:34
- "Meditazione Orale" - 5:24
- "Lyra III" - 1:59
- "Lyra IV" - 2:01
- "Scritti Corsari" - 1:22
- "Lyra V" - 2:20
- "Epigrammi" - 2:27
- "Lyra VI" - 1:33
- "Setaccio" - 2:20
- "Lyra VII" - 4:07
- "Mimesis, Divina Mimesis" - 7:08
- "Lyra VIII" - 5:35
- "Ostia" - 11:22
- "Pasolini" - 4:0751
Personnel
On Disc One:- Stefano BattagliaStefano BattagliaStefano Battaglia is an Italian classical and jazz pianist.He has played extensively on the international circuit, performing as a soloist with the European Youth Orchestra in Barcelona , and winning the "J.S...
- piano - Aya Shimura - cello
- Salvatore Maiore - bass
- Roberto Dani - drums
- Mirco Mariottini - clarinet
- Michael Gassmann - trumpet
Disc Two:
- Stefano BattagliaStefano BattagliaStefano Battaglia is an Italian classical and jazz pianist.He has played extensively on the international circuit, performing as a soloist with the European Youth Orchestra in Barcelona , and winning the "J.S...
- piano - Dominique PifarélyDominique PifarélyDominique Pifarély is a French jazz violinist. Born in Bègles, he is known as a modernizer who works in avant-garde jazz, but he has also worked in post-bop and other contexts....
- violin - Vincent Courtois - cello
- Bruno Chevillon - bass
- Michele Rabbia - percussion