SABINO DE BARI - Lo Racconta Il Mare
La Nota Di Volta/Tambora Music
Sabino De Bari (soprano guitar, electronics); Claudia Lops (flute, alto flute); Diana Torti (voice)Vito Vilardi (classical guitar); Pantaleo Anese (narrator on 'Quenne U Maare Fasce Grousse')
Recorded August 2021
Listen carefully to the music on Lo Racconta Il Mare (The Sea Tells It) and you hear the work of a composer foremost, and the role of instrumentalist/improviser secondary. In this extraordinarily beautiful recording, Sabino De Bari has taken the music of his birthplace of Molfetta in Southern Italy, and looked to retain the memories of the areas past along with the unique musical heritage and tradition alive in these modern times.
Bringing contemporary composition to bear on the heritage of the Molfetta's sacred music, De Bari looks to ensure that the music, texts and memories are not forgotten and does so by incorporating musical motifs from the traditional music of the area along with excerpts from the literary poems from Memorie Ritrovate by Isabella Cirelli and Antonia Spandavecchia, FIDAP (Molfetta Section).
The arrangements for guitars, voice and flutes are remarkably varied. Often dramatic in their ability to tell their story the music repays careful listening as the attention to detail from De Bari in the structure and sounds employed in the compositions is means that every little nuance is made to count.
The opening title track, Lo Racconta Il Mare brings forth much to enjoy with Lops' flutes as the sole instruments heard. From the breathy tones of the opening notes to the beautifully luxurious and full sound of the alto flute we hear music that is paired down to the bare bones, not a single note is superfluous or wasted, and we are drawn into the composer's sound world and enraptured by the tale that unfolds.
Equally compelling is 'Fantasia Sul Vexilla' with the dialogue between guitar and flute totally enthralling. Not music of virtuosic displays, but each note and phrase carefully weighted and responded to ensuring a piece of music making that reveals more with each hearing.
The voice heard on the recording is that of Diana Torti who many will recall from her own excellent album, On A Cloud, released on the SLAM label and also featuring De Bari on guitar. Her voice is full of drama on 'Tarêndédde' with the traditional text and De Bari's music. The dramatic turns to the sublime on the delicate and hauntingly beautiful 'Il canto dell’emigrante', with elicits a breath taking vocal performance from Torti, a fear that is also repeated on 'Ninnê Nênne' a wonderful duet for voice and soprano guitar.
The other voice heard on the album is that of Pantaleo Annese, the narrator on 'Quenne u mare fasce grousse' with the music and text by De Bari , which expresses the guitarist's commentary on Molfetta in these different and difficult times. De Bari closes the album with a solo piece for classical guitar, 'I Passiona tu Christù' that is dedicated to Molfetta's close neighbour Salento and draws its inspiration from a popular melody from the Greek region. A piece full of lyricism by the composer, and played with passion and fire by guitarist, Vito Vilardi (who impresses throughout),and a fitting way to bring this fine album to a satisfying conclusion.
Reviewed by Nick Lea
La Nota Di Volta/Tambora Music
Sabino De Bari (soprano guitar, electronics); Claudia Lops (flute, alto flute); Diana Torti (voice)Vito Vilardi (classical guitar); Pantaleo Anese (narrator on 'Quenne U Maare Fasce Grousse')
Recorded August 2021
Listen carefully to the music on Lo Racconta Il Mare (The Sea Tells It) and you hear the work of a composer foremost, and the role of instrumentalist/improviser secondary. In this extraordinarily beautiful recording, Sabino De Bari has taken the music of his birthplace of Molfetta in Southern Italy, and looked to retain the memories of the areas past along with the unique musical heritage and tradition alive in these modern times.
Bringing contemporary composition to bear on the heritage of the Molfetta's sacred music, De Bari looks to ensure that the music, texts and memories are not forgotten and does so by incorporating musical motifs from the traditional music of the area along with excerpts from the literary poems from Memorie Ritrovate by Isabella Cirelli and Antonia Spandavecchia, FIDAP (Molfetta Section).
The arrangements for guitars, voice and flutes are remarkably varied. Often dramatic in their ability to tell their story the music repays careful listening as the attention to detail from De Bari in the structure and sounds employed in the compositions is means that every little nuance is made to count.
The opening title track, Lo Racconta Il Mare brings forth much to enjoy with Lops' flutes as the sole instruments heard. From the breathy tones of the opening notes to the beautifully luxurious and full sound of the alto flute we hear music that is paired down to the bare bones, not a single note is superfluous or wasted, and we are drawn into the composer's sound world and enraptured by the tale that unfolds.
Equally compelling is 'Fantasia Sul Vexilla' with the dialogue between guitar and flute totally enthralling. Not music of virtuosic displays, but each note and phrase carefully weighted and responded to ensuring a piece of music making that reveals more with each hearing.
The voice heard on the recording is that of Diana Torti who many will recall from her own excellent album, On A Cloud, released on the SLAM label and also featuring De Bari on guitar. Her voice is full of drama on 'Tarêndédde' with the traditional text and De Bari's music. The dramatic turns to the sublime on the delicate and hauntingly beautiful 'Il canto dell’emigrante', with elicits a breath taking vocal performance from Torti, a fear that is also repeated on 'Ninnê Nênne' a wonderful duet for voice and soprano guitar.
The other voice heard on the album is that of Pantaleo Annese, the narrator on 'Quenne u mare fasce grousse' with the music and text by De Bari , which expresses the guitarist's commentary on Molfetta in these different and difficult times. De Bari closes the album with a solo piece for classical guitar, 'I Passiona tu Christù' that is dedicated to Molfetta's close neighbour Salento and draws its inspiration from a popular melody from the Greek region. A piece full of lyricism by the composer, and played with passion and fire by guitarist, Vito Vilardi (who impresses throughout),and a fitting way to bring this fine album to a satisfying conclusion.
Reviewed by Nick Lea
