Ellipse

“Ellipse is the result of an hour-long, free recording session, unmodified by cuts or edits. I have freely conveyed extemporaneous inventions as well as themes and quotations with the sole purpose of offering a unique, cohesive, and elliptical work.”

Recorded September 2016

Rainbow Studio, Oslo

Engineer, Jan Erik Kongshaug

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“Travaglini’s is a wondrously eclectic talent…”

 

Ellipse is a terrific solo piano recording; adventurous, but never over the top, and often quite beautiful.”

 

“It’s with the medley Monk’s Mood / Presences that the album really hits its stride. Monk ‘s gorgeous piece emerges, well, elliptically, with fragments of its melody gradually elmowing their way into each Travaglini’s extemporizations, after which the twelve-minute setting advances into the pianist’s own freer Presences material.”
Looking Back exudes a deeply nostalgic character that’s handled with incredible delicacy and poise for the full measure of its eight minutes.”

 

“Each improvisation seems to emerge organically and with its own logic. An hour of relatively abstract piano might sound like a daunting prospect, but Travaglini’s meditations are sufficiently grounded and immediate to hold the most sceptical of listeners.”

 

“Italian pianist Stefano Travaglini‘s Ellipse is a masterwork of improvised music.”
“This melodic ear and Travaglini’s sense of pace makes Ellipse one of the best improvised works of 2017. A beautiful and adventurous recording.”

 

“Ellipse rappresenta una prova matura e densa: nelle nove tracce si ritrova un dialogo tra mondo classico, musica contemporanea e linguaggi jazzistici, un gioco di specchi tra riferimenti e personalità che Travaglini conduce in maniera scorrevole e sicura. Ascolto dopo ascolto, tutti i tasselli trovano posto in una combinazione coerente e capace, al tempo stesso, di rivelare ogni volta ulteriori letture ed emozioni.”

 

“A worthy entry into the solo piano genre of jazz.”

 

“Italian pianist Stefano Travaglini delivers an impressive solo performance on this mix of originals and jazz standards. His touch is warm, confident and with a dash of thoughtful introspection as he uses space as a sound on patient pieces such as The Importance of Fishing and Looking  Back.”

 

“Nel pianismo di Travaglini ci sono tracce di avanguardia, c’è sia la tradizione colta europea sia il jazz angolare di Monk, e la sensazione, nell’ascolto d’insieme, è quella di un viaggio nel quale ogni fermata viene piacevolmente smentita dalla successiva.”

 

“Visceral y poético, a la vez, Ellipse es un viaje por un territorio de amplios y entrañables paisajes.”

 

“Тот час времени, который Травальини провел в студии, отыграв на едином дыхании свою программу, для слушателя пробегает также незаметно – в предлагаемом ему Ellipse много мысли, много эмоций, много красоты, за которую мы и любим музыку – будь то джаз или классика.”

 

“The CD’s strength is its honesty regarding human emotion; its tunefulness that bends around corners; and its inventiveness in walking the tightrope over jazz to one side and classical on the other. Masterful.”

 

“La lingua che Travaglini usa non è mai scontata e riesce sempre a trovare soluzioni convincenti e soprendenti nel riportare personali emozioni e provocarne di nuove nell’ascoltatore.”

 

“Travaglini, ha conseguido una verdadera filigrana musical, difícilmente etiquetable,  jazz, clásica, o una combinación de ambas, es indiferente, lo importante es el resultado final y este es excelente.”

 

“Beaucoup d’improvisation et quelques réminiscences de thèmes connus (Monk’s Mood, Softly, as in a morning sunrise…) pour nous convaincre que l’on est bien dans le monde et dans l’esprit du jazz avec une approche sensible, poétique et personnelle. Beau disque!”
 

“Certainly the sense of cohesion really shines out. On first listen, the pieces into which this set is divided are well linked that it feels like they have the clearly articulated structure of a piano suite.”
“…Travaglini work’s Monk musical style into something that is uniquely his own.”
 

Ellipse is played with creativity, finesse and thoughtfulness. Quite a nice solo piano recording from a very talented player who clearly his passionate about his craft. Recommended.”
 

“即興演奏として面白いし、もちろん音もいい。”

Preview

  1. The importance of fishing Stefano Travaglini 0:28
  2. Intermezzo Stefano Travaglini 0:31
  3. Persistence Stefano Travaglini 0:33
  4. Monk's mood (T. Monk) Stefano Travaglini 0:55
  5. Presences Stefano Travaglini 0:34
  6. Looking back Stefano Travaglini 1:26
  7. Softly, as in a morning sunrise (Romberg/Hammerstein II) Stefano Travaglini 0:30
  8. Goodbye, for now (meditation) Stefano Travaglini 0:52
  9. The flowering season Stefano Travaglini 0:34

Gallery