A Night at the Opera with Gianluigi Trovesi

All’Opera: Profumo di Violetta
By Gianluigi Trovesi
ECM Records 2068

Hollywood has an enduring ethnic stereotype of Italian men as frustrated opera singers. Though a caricature, there is undeniably a greater knowledge of the music throughout all levels of Italian society, due to the “banda” tradition of local brass and woodwind ensembles specializing in such operatic fare. It was in such an organization Italian reedman Gianluigi Trovesi began his musical career when his local banda lost their clarinetist. Now an established ECM recording artist, Trovesi pays homage to his banda roots and their operatic repertoire in All’Opera.

Recorded with the Filarmonica Mousike Orchestra, a contemporary banda ensemble, Trovesi’s approach is best described in terms of a mosaic, juxtaposing themes from instantly recognizable operas, with his own succinct compositions, some derived from classical sources, others entirely original. The result is a kind of quilt of banda musical patches, conveying the spirit of traditional Italian music, while remaining true to the jazz idiom.

Some of Trovesi’s originals essentially function as table-setters, like the opening fanfare of “Alba,” which segues nicely into the similarly textured “Toccata,” adapted from Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo. Three Orpheus inspired originals follow, including the sensitive ballad “Euridice,” which proves a perfect vehicle for Trovesi rich contra-alto clarinet sound, concluding with a return to the original Monteverdi in a brief thumbnail of the “Ritornello.”

While the music of All’Opera is highly structured (as one would expect given the size of the orchestra backing Trovesi), many of the selections have an infectious swing. Seventeenth Century composer Maurizio Cazzati might not be widely interpreted today, but Trovesi’s arrangement (with Corrado Guarino and Christina Plihar) of “Intrecciar Ciaccone,” based on his “Ciaccona” has an overtly jazz vibe, vigorously propelled by drummer Stefano Bertoli. Echoes of “Ciaccone” are then later heard in Trovesi’s equally swinging original “Vespone.”

As with L’Orfeo, Trovesi’s treatment of La Traviata mixes extracts of Verdi with originals, including the leader’s two part “Profumo di Violetta.” Marco Remondini’s electronically distorted cello also provides distinctive aural colors to his “Violetta a le alter” without overwhelming the overall Verdi suite. However, as the lead voice on “largo al factotum” from Rossini’s Barber of Seville, the intense wah-wah cello effects do stick out conspicuously.

While Trovesi plays some alto and piccolo (the latter heard to great effect on the playful miniature “Stizzoso, mio stizzoso,” based on Pergolesi’s Servant Mistress) he largely opts for the clarinet on All’Opera, the instrument which first brought him into the sphere of banda music. Although far from a household name in America, Trovesi is one of Italy’s top improvising musicians, who deserves the sort of international recognition his fellow countryman and label-mate Enrico Rava has achieved. His last ECM release, Vaghissimo Ritratto, made my 2007 top ten list, and All’Opera is recommended with much the same enthusiasm.

The Third Man

The Third Man
By Enrico Rava and Stefano Bollani
ECM Records

Evidently, those feet in the bottom left hand corner are connected to ECM founder Manfred Eicher, producer of many Enrico Rava sessions and Stefano Bollani’s recent solo release. Titled as a tribute to Eicher and in homage to the classic Carol Reed film, Rava and Bollani’s The Third Man may at times summon impressions of film noir, but it is worlds away from Anton Karas’s Viennese zither theme.

Third Man is dramatic in its unadorned simplicity. Rava’s trumpet sounds ethereal throughout, and Bollani’s piano often sounds like scattered raindrops falling on water. Third Man’s late night vibe is consistently arresting, established from the start with “Estate.” Like several tracks on the CD, it shares a similar effect with Miles Davis’s Kind of Blue, in that even though at times they quicken the tempo (most notably on the briefest track, “In Search of Titina”), with Rava rising to the upper register, the session as a whole still leaves an overall impression of quiet intimacy.

The title track conveys a strong sense of mystery and foreboding. It is the most diffuse of their duets on Third Man. Along with the rhythmically dense “Compari,” it definitely has a film noir feeling, containing the sessions few unsettling notes.

Though one really does not hear the sounds of Austria in Third Man, Brazil is represented with two variations of Jobim’s “Retrato Em Branco Y Preto,” given appropriately impressionistic treatments here. They also play a sensitive rendition of Moacir Santos’s lovely melody “Felipe”

Even though Rava is the senior partner on the session and his trumpet tends to dominate the aural landscape, Bollani offers effective support, and has lovely solos, as on “Birth of a Butterfly” and his original, “Santa Teresa,” for instance. Indeed, the two colleagues display a remarkable rapport, blending into each other seamlessly.

By turns stark and lyrical, Third Man is an elegant musical statement. It makes for richly rewarding listening to hear two great musicians at very different stages of their careers, come together for such a pure sounding session. It is also encouraging to hear Rava, the mentor, in such close collaboration with one of the succeeding generation of Italian jazz artists. After all, we should hope to see a healthy future for jazz everywhere.

Italian Culture

Last night, the Italian Consulate stressed they only bring authentic originals to represent the best of Italian culture. In this case, it was Stefano Bollani playing at the Italian Cultural Institute and the unveiling of a fragment of a Pinturicchio fresco—a portrait of baby Jesus perfectly framed by three hands (two being those of Mary, the third has been somewhat of a mystery)—at the consulate next door.

Bollani played a highly entertaining set of solo piano, opening up with some serious left hand, bordering on boogie woogie. His witty re-casting of “On the Street Where You Live,” was perhaps the strongest showcase for his talents. Bollani established a strong rapport with the overflowing audience, although his Italian banter was lost on me. Bollani has eclectic ideas and influences, but still swings nicely, making him an effective ambassador for Italian jazz and the ECM label.

The Italian Consulate next door was already quite well appointed, with work by the likes of de Chirico adorning the walls. The addition of a legitimate Renaissance master is pretty impressive. How long it will be there and where it goes next, I’m not clear on, but Bollani will be accessible, with U.S. dates coming up (Baltimore on the 23rd).

Not long ago, Italian jazz musicians were reportedly frustrated with their domestic scene, with artists like Stefano di Battista relocating to the greener pastures of France. However, there seems to be an ongoing Italian resurgence, with veterans like Enrico Rava (with whom Bollani received attention as a sideman) and Gianluigi Trovesi producing some of their greatest work, and younger artists like Bollani, Stefano Battaglia, and Francesco Cafiso infusing fresh energy into Italy’s jazz world.