Contemplation by Thanos Mitsalas
Available on Apple Music/iTunes
Works by Assad, Bach, D'Angelo, Gismonti, Iannarelli
Contemplation depicts states of mind and soul, reflecting past, present and future through a prism of love, faith and hope. This is music is for imagining, thinking, and dreaming.
The disc opens with the lyrical piece Per Sofia (2005) written by the Italian guitarist/composer Simone Iannarelli. Per Sofia is dedicated to the composer's daughter, and is representative of the composer's romantic idiom. The work uses a unique scordatura tuning to create a refreshing sonority and exotic color pallet for the instrument. The main body of the work relies on arpeggios to create a fluid pace that is interlaced with a slower poco piu lento section. This same scordatura technique is used again in track 8, Lullaby for Sarah, (2003) where we see Iannareill's individual voice settle on a restful mood, full of colorful timbres and images. The language in Lullaby for Sarah is lightly jazzy with a contrasting climactic structure that brings to mind the struggle between stark realism and human spirituality.
