About this Release
“For every pianist-composer, writing for the piano, in this case, a piano concerto and a piano sonata, is an ambitious challenge that leads the artist to overcome obstacles on the journey to self-discovery. The Piano Concerto ‘Fantastico’ and the Piano Sonata were born from a personal need to walk the way of the great composers of the past, drawing inspiration from Beethoven to Rachmaninov to Kapustin in the musical path over the last two centuries. The wonder of performing a song of this depth, written by myself, is an experience that I feel every artist should indulge in.” — Roberto Esposito
ESPOSITO, ROBERTO (b. 1984)
Piano Concerto ‘Fantastico’
- Roberto Esposito, piano
Roberto Esposito’s Piano Concerto No. 1, ‘Fantastico’ and his Piano Sonata No. 1 stem from his desire as a pianist and composer to engage with the major musical structures of 19th- and 20th-century Classical and Romantic music. While drawing inspiration from the great composers of the past, in these two works he injects classical form with the musical idioms closest to his heart—those of jazz and the folk music of both his native southern Italy and the Mediterranean.
This recording was made on modern instruments:
Imperial Bösendorfer (Tracks 1–3, 7);
Yamaha CF III (Tracks 4–6)
Tracklist
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Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 8, "Fantastico" (2016) (00:26:45 )
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1
I. Moderato * (00:10:25)
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2
II. Adagio ironico * (00:09:17)
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3
III. Presto * (00:07:03)
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Piano Sonata No. 1 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 10 (2017) (00:24:56 )
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4
I. Inquieto * (00:11:35)
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5
II. Ballad * (00:07:27)
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6
III. Bàrbaro * (00:05:56)
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7
Indigo Mirage (2015) * (00:04:38)
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The Artist(s)
In 2014 Esposito released his debut album, ‘The Decades’, a collection of ten solo piano tracks which combine inspiration drawn from the folk music of southern Italy (dances such as the pizzica and taranta, for example) with an improvisatory jazz idiom, often framed in forms borrowed from the classical world (impromptus, études, fantasias, rhapsodies). Over the following months he performed the repertoire from the album on tour in Italy and elsewhere in Europe, as well as in the US and the Caribbean. In 2016 he performed at the Umbria Jazz Festival. Esposito has also performed in concert with artists such as Philip Glass, Fabrizio Bosso, among others. The Composer(s)
In 2014 Esposito released his debut album, ‘The Decades’, a collection of ten solo piano tracks which combine inspiration drawn from the folk music of southern Italy (dances such as the pizzica and taranta, for example) with an improvisatory jazz idiom, often framed in forms borrowed from the classical world (impromptus, études, fantasias, rhapsodies). Over the following months he performed the repertoire from the album on tour in Italy and elsewhere in Europe, as well as in the US and the Caribbean. In 2016 he performed at the Umbria Jazz Festival. Esposito has also performed in concert with artists such as Philip Glass, Fabrizio Bosso, among others. Reviews
“Makes for compelling and unexpected listening, and the works are most enjoyable.” – Records International
“Esposito has more surprises in store for us, swinging out when you least expect it and continually switching gears.” – The Art Music Lounge
Grand Piano has gained a reputation for producing high quality recordings of rare keyboard gems. Dedicated to the exploration of undiscovered piano repertoire, the label specialises in complete cycles of piano works by many lesser-known composers, whose output might otherwise have remained unknown and unrecorded.
- info@grandpianorecords.com
