From the start, Giuseppe Cordaro’s new solo album offers listeners a simple elegance that comes as a great relief at the end of a difficult year. Simple, but not at all simplistic. The Reggio Emilia, Italy-based composer delivered eight new pieces to us last month that stitch multiple genres together seamlessly.
Among them are ambient works like “Origine,” which opens the album. It can fairly be described as a white noise piece, and yet it lacks the aggression that so often comes across in works of that nature. This is gently pleasing, and a lovely start.
The next six pieces are numbered in Roman style. In addition to the ambient elements, they display new classical leanings and subtle electroacoustics.
The piano performance on “I” is a melancholy highlight. So is Cordaro’s delicate use of electronics and processed guitar throughout the album.
But what stands out most are the textural elements he’s produced. We’re treated to a list of found sounds that includes nature recordings, a car-door-is-open warning bell and more.
“VI” is a great pleasure. Over a pleasing electric hum, we hear bird song and what sounds like rain drops falling gently on a hard surface. As the rain grows heavier, this remarkably quiet piece takes on real intensity.
Origine closes with “Fine,” a subtly dramatic effort. It is as beautifully composed and recorded as the seven that came before it.
This is Cordaro’s third solo album. It’s been nine years since his last.