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by Matt Howarth - Sonic Curiosity - USA
2010
This CD from 2009 features 51 minutes of gentle ambient music.
As implied by the release’s title, the
principle instrument here is a grand piano (a model 1923 Steinway
D, to be exact).
The latter has been sampled, and the notes are
accompanied by electronically generated atmospheres.
The result, as one might expect, is ambience
seasoned by classical influences.
Sanfilippo plays gentle Steinway chords that linger
with a congenial sovereignty. The melodies pursue an extremely relaxed
temperament with each expression isolated by reverent pauses (which
are suitably filled with languidly drifting texturals).
The electronics are primarily tenuous, establishing
vaporous environs not unlike the mists that cloak a beach in the dawn
hours.
These tonalities engulf the music in translucence, a luster delicately
penetrated by the piano notes.
Some of the atmospherics exhibit a suppressed grittiness
reminiscent of distant electrical currents crackling in an open field.
For the most part, though, the ambience remains moderate and courteous.
The compositions are ethereal yet compelling.
While most ambient music relies entirely on the ebb and flow of harmonic
auralscapes, these songs employ a melodic structure generated by the
piano keys. Those melodies are then enhanced into pleasant phantasms
by the conjunctive application of soft tones. The fragile compositions
evoke moods the exact nature of which are wholly derived from the
mind of the listener.
by Rik MacLean - Ping Things - Canada 2010
It should come as no surprise to any of my readers that I'm a big
fan and supporter of Bruno Sanfilippo and
his music. His "Auralspace"
release has been in permanent rotation in my CD player for almost
a year now, and I regularly return to his other works when I'm looking
for something to listen to. You can understand that I was very pleased
to hear about his latest release "Piano
Textures 2", a follow up to 2007's "Piano
Textures", which was a stunning album of inspired environments
using only a processed and effected grand piano as a sound source.
Now that I've had a chance to listen to it carefully, I'm pleased
to report that "Piano Textures 2" continues the idea with
similar beautiful results.
"Piano Textures2 i" opens the disc with
a theme from the earlier "Piano Textures"
release, which leads into a new meditative piece of great beauty.
Employing sparse and simple melodic work over a slowly drifting pad
Sanfilippo creates a relaxed environment for the listener to discover
at their own pace. Rich in texture and layers, "Piano Textures2
i" sets the tone for the disc as a whole, establishing a mood
and a feeling
that will continue throughout.
"Piano Textures2 ii" is up next, a bit more
melancholy in tone but certainly just as engaging as the album opener.
A quiet drone drifts through the background underneath a forlorn melodic
line. There's a really clear emotion at play here, a very organic
and real feeling that breathes through the track, made all the more
impressive by the minimal number of notes being used.
A truly impressive piece of music.
"Piano Textures2 iii" follows, a slowly
drifting track where forms and shapes are vague and amorphous at best,
but still just as warm and beautiful as we've come to expect from
Sanfilippo. Tones ebb and flow through the soundscape, gradually becoming
clearer and more defined as the track progresses. It's all very languid
and beautiful, bringing to mind images of floating on a still lake
on that perfect summer's day.
I've always enjoyed how Sanfilippo's music can transport me to another
space like that.
"Piano Textures2 iv" begins with a deep
drone that slowly rises out of the soundfield, rich tones building
in strength alongside it.
As time passes, the melodies become more complex, more pronounced,
weaving throughout the music but never overtaking the initial drone,
just complementing and adding to it. A lovely piece of work.
The sound of twinkling stars begins "Piano Textures2
v", leading into a beautiful example of minimalist space music.
There's a rich, organic feeling at play here, something very natural
and clean developed from simple sources rather than the processed
synth work that largely defines the genre. I can't help but think
of slow orbits around alien worlds, a solitary beauty.
"Piano Textures2 vi" brings us back to earth,
a lush piano piece with minimal processing, just some really wonderful
playing that makes me incredibly jealous of Sanfilippo's talents.
I really can't do justice to this track, but trust me when I say that
it's the most beautiful piece on an album of very beautiful work.
Sanfilippo's talent and mastery of the genre are on
clear display with this release and I have no doubt that I will have
to find room in my CD player for another one of his releases that
I'll be playing all year long. "Piano Textures 2"
is a stunning collection of music that I whole heartedly recommend
to existing fans of Sanfilippo's work and to those who are looking
for carefully crafted organic ambience.
Another great release from one of my favorite artists!
by John Shanahan - Hypnagogue - USA 2010
To be honest, I cannot recall when I last heard a CD as simply graceful
and beautiful as Bruno Sanfilippo’s latest offering, Piano
Textures 2.
Slow-handed piano melodies lazily describe themselves over calm, warm
synth washes in the six pieces here, each one slowing life down just
a bit and trailing color as they go. Relatively common in character,
these pieces absolutely melt together, the moment between tracks
coming like a reflective pause before you begin to drift away on the
next one. This is a superb disc for low-volume looping, ideal for
winding
down the day, meditating or just deep listening. Nothing jars the
flow as Sanfilippo gently pours feeling across his keyboards and guides
us along. A stunning, gorgeous piece of work that’s also a Hypnagogue
Highly Recommended CD."
by
Paul Jury - Morpheus Music - UK 2009
STYLE
Delicate piano atmospheres with subtle electronic support. Bruno Sanfilippo
presents here a series of very beautiful compositions that feature
an 'old lady grand piano' recorded during the night hours. Smooth
electronic washes and drones are laid down in gentle layers forming
light, hazy expanses within which the master instrument luxuriates.
The piano playing is mostly of an understated, unhurried melodic form
calling to mind the purity and tranquil grace of Satie, touched with
delightful melancholy and haunting airy wistfulness. Spacial structure
is masterful, creating an incredibly enchanting ambience, the arrangements
seemingly having the meandering freeness of improvised playing whilst
at the same time obviously exhibiting the kind of harmony and refinement
that comes only from painstaking crafting and control.
ARTWORK Piano textures comes in a jewel case with three panel folded
insert. Imagery focuses on physical textures in harmony with the sonic
textures of the disc. The main image is of monochrome leaf fibres,
sepia strands running at a slight incline - an image that is repeated
behind the CD itself within. Since the case has a clear spine the
slim vertical left edge is used to display a piano keyboard running
from top to bottom. The back cover takes a faded version of the main
image and turns it sideways, here forming a backdrop to a diagram
of the inner workings of a grand piano. Track titles discreetly follow
the upper contour of the instrument. When the insert is fully extended,
one side holds the front cover, a second textural study (this time
of fabric fibres) and a section for information: instrumental details,
recording facts, website info and a quote from Shakespeare. The second
side of the insert is completely given over to a strongly textured
landscape photograph - stony hills, flat sky.
OVERALL Piano Textures 2 comes as follow-up to the wonderful
Piano Textures album released back
in 2007. In the meantime the albums Ambessence piano & drones
with Mathias Grassow and Auralspace were recorded in 2008 and 2009
respectively. Buenos Aires born Sanfilippo has been playing the piano
since childhood and his love of the instrument is fully evident in
the six powerfully emotive pieces here.
The album is once more delivered through the artist's own ad21music
label. From my perspective this latest collection of music is
even more powerful than the previous. Having found a form of expression
that clearly released some personal passion, Sanfilippo has refined
his technique since the first instalment - more confident, more melodic,
more captivating. This is exquisite music - I find it hard to imagine
that anything more breathtaking could be coaxed from this instrument.
Samples of the music can be found at the website www.bruno-sanfilippo.com
by
Bert Strolenberg - Sonicimmersion.org
In 2007, Mr Sanfilippo presented us the first volume of “Piano
Textures”, now followed by a second chapter of gentle, overall
elegant, contemplative but not too soothing piano-atmospheres. These
formulae already proved to be worthy on the initial release, but on
“Piano Textures 2”, Bruno reaches for and arrived
on a new level of brilliance.
Recorded
and mixed at Onix Studio, Barcelona, Sanfilippo once more played an
Steinway Old Lady Grand Piano from 1923. and expertly mixed its notes
with the flowing, atmospheric synthesizer pads (created with a Korg
Radias and a Boss giga delay), to “inspire the canvas of imagination”.
Carefully retaining the warmth and intimacy hidden inside, the outcome
of six tracks offers even more sensitivity and captivating melodies
than the previous recording, while creating and still preserving an
overall tranquil ambience.
Listeners
looking for beauty and melody in contemporary instrumental music should
look no further. Well-done Bruno!
Por Roberto Vales - Lost Frontier Radio
Nuevo trabajo de Bruno Sanfilippo, un disco que continúa la
senda iniciada con sus incursiones al piano, estas se han visto reflejadas
en conciertos y en un excelente trabajo, ahora vuelve con la segunda
parte de este último, con "Piano Textures 2".
"Piano Textures 2", después de leer el título
y conocer su anterior trabajo, sobran las palabras, porque aquí
nos vamos a encontrar al Bruno minimalista que nos sumerge a través
de las teclas del piano en las profundidades de nuestro ser, con esas
atmósferas que solo él sabre crear, esa manera minismalista
de introducirnos en la música, en descubrirnos el poder de
ese instrumento llamado piano.
"Piano Textures 2" son seis piezas, más de cincuenta
minutos de puro deleite musical, de puro minimalismo contemporáneo,
de música instrumental para deleite de todos aquellos que tengan
la oportunidad de escuchar este trabajo y de todos que tengan el placer
de poder disfrutar de uno de sus conciertos en directo.
Bruno Sanfilippo es un magnífico compositor que siempre es
capaz de trasladar a sus obras todo su sentimiento,
toda su sabiduría, toda la belleza de lo que nos rodea, en
esta ocasión, vuelve a poner su manos sobre las teclas de un
piano,
para con sus delicadas texturas volver a deleitarnos de esa magia
que es la música.
Por Alejandro Clavijo - Reviewsnewage.com -
Puntuación: 5/5
Piano Textures 2 es la décima publicación del compositor,
teclista y pianista bonaerense Bruno Sanfilippo y la continuación
de su anterior álbum publicado en 2007, Piano Textures. Frente
a su piano Steinway D y con el apoyo de varios sintetizadores, Bruno
consigue crear una atmósfera mágica, relajante, donde
seis extensas piezas invitan al oyente a viajar por sus sueños
más profundos.
Mimando cada nota, cada arreglo e invirtiendo toda su experiencia
cosechada durante años, Bruno ha dado vida a un hipnótico
álbum capaz
de calmar y aliviar a los más inquietos corazones.
"Piano Textures2 I" abre el álbum.
La base de un synth pad introduce a la entrecortada melodía
reproducida por el piano, donde furtivas notas altas y, en ocasiones,
delicadas progresiones de acordes sirven como acompañamiento
al brillante sonido sintetizado.
El suave sonido del sintetizador que fluye en armonía con las
delicadas notas del piano, arrancadas con sutil delicadeza, invitan
al oyente a evadirse de la realidad y sencillamente, soñar.
Bendita serenidad!.
Una misteriosa melodía de sintetizador y un
piano que toma protagonismo, más implicado que en el tema anterior,
dan vida a "Piano Textures2 II". El sonido desconcertante
del synth pad, como si del soplo del viento se tratase, perdura durante
toda la pieza,
mientras la melodía que dibuja el piano, discontinua, improvisada,
posee un carácter triste, melancólico. Una de mis favoritas!.
"Piano Textures2 III" es la banda sonora
de un profundo sueño. Delicada, la melodía del sintetizador
como voz predominante sigue un ir y venir entre los canales izquierdo
y derecho, mientras el tenue piano va soltando notas al aire que encajan
a la perfección con el hipnotizador
ambiente creado por el synth pad. Cautivadora pieza!. Transporta a
un estado de quietud pura!. Me encanta!.
En "Piano Textures2 IV" la unión
de la bella melodía que reproduce el synth pad, unida a las
acertadas notas altas que en ocasiones, son marcadas con fuerzas,
ofrecen una libertad de espíritu sorprendente; dibujando un
entorno natural idílico, esta pieza detiene el tiempo para
que podamos disfrutar del momento. Bellísima pieza!.
"Piano Textures2 V". Un rápido y
breve toque de notas en el piano abren paso a una poderosa melodía
de sintetizador que baja su tono y se mantiene inalterable de principio
a fin, creando una atmósfera idónea para el descanso.
El piano, furtivo, alterna notas altas con notas bajas, como si de
un diálogo se tratase. Una apacible pieza, donde el suave synth
pad junto al delicado piano, transmiten sensación de paz y
tranquilidad al oyente. Cautivadora pieza!.
La pieza más extensa del álbum, poco
más de diez minutos, se titula "Piano Textures2 VI".
Una nostálgica melodía que nace en la zona alta del
piano y que es acompañada por los delicados acordes de la mano
izquierda. La ausencia de sintetizador de fondo da una agradable sensación
de frescura, acentuando cada nota y acorde que Bruno arranca al piano.
Un solo de piano perfecto para culminar este trabajo...
Además de ser mi preferida!. Asombroso track!.
Bruno ha conseguido crear la música ambiental
perfecta, donde cada pieza puede unirse a la anterior, sin sobresaltos,
procurando con celo que ninguna nota o sonido despunte sobre las demás,
manteniendo una linealidad perfecta.
Un álbum apto para lograr alcanzar la inspiración artística
o para, simplemente, realizar tareas en las que se necesite un silencio
absoluto y que bien podrían acompañarse con este fascinante
trabajo.
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