Solaris Records  ÷  Catalogue

Enrico Blatti

VARIATIONS ON A THEME

2006

FANTASTIC NEW RELEASE AVAILABLE NOW. NOT TO BE MISSED!!

COVER TEXT – ENRICO BLATTI VARIATIONS ON A THEME

It would be tempting to start this piece with something like: “Hello?

Ladies and Gentlemen! Excuse me if I introduce myself. I am thePrologue.” But since this is an introduction, not a prologue,

and since it is not our task to address any poetical issue here(God forbid!), let’s leave the cheap tricks aside and go straight to the point. The “point” being the following: whytranscribe, arrange and rework a whole lyrical opera for an instrumental ensemble comprised for its most part of brass instruments, and give a clarinet virtuoso its main voice? Why scramble its features, stripping out all the vocal parts and allowing jazzy scents, band hints, reckless improvisations, weird Latin, Balkan and North-American rhythms to slip between the folds of the pentagrams?

Good question. I am not sure I know the answer. After all, this is just an introduction, not the Pagliacci prologue! Maybe Enrico Blatti, the man responsible for this eccentric variation, the chef d’orchestre and savvy maitre of such a luxurious table, so rich with different tasty flavors, would simply say, à la Palazzeschi: “Let me have fun!” And that would be that.

This CD is an exciting and original new look at the classic / Jazz crossover approach to the arrangement of a classical work, in this case an Italian opera. Blatti has achieved a balance in texture and understanding of the original, while pushing on into the tantalizing territory improvisation and jazz rhythms from various traditions. A CD, well worth the listening; full of elegant, humoristic, and even dramatic surprises – something for opera lovers as well as popular music aficionados.

Track	Title	Min.	Listen	Price	Buy
1	PROLOGUE	7.19		2.00 €
2	ACT 1	36.32		4.00 €
3	INTERMEZZO	3.31		1.00 €
4	ACT 2	18.50		3.00 €
5	NO! PAGLIACCIO NON SON!!	5.55		1.00 €
download all tracks		11 €