Pelagos is a solo double album by Italian classical and jazz pianist Stefano Battaglia, recorded in May 2016 and released on ECM September 15, 2017—Battaglia's seventh release for the label.[1][2]

Pelagos
Studio album / Live album by
Released15 September 2017
RecordedMay 2016
VenueFazioli Concert Hall
Sacile, Italy
GenreJazz
LabelECM
ECM 2570/71
ProducerManfred Eicher
Stefano Battaglia chronology
windS
(2015)
Pelagos
(2017)

Background

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The theme of the album is "the suffering countries of the Mediterranean and Balkan areas."[2] For the two days before the recording, Battaglia was in a monastery, "meditating upon the meaning of migration."[2]

Recording and music

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The album of solo piano performances by Battaglia was recorded at the Fazioli Concert Hall in Sacile, Italy[2] in May 2016.[1] Two sessions were recorded at the same venue—one with an audience and one without.[2] Some of the pieces include playing on a prepared piano.[3]

Approximately four hours of music were recorded.[4] Producer Manfred Eicher selected around two hours of playing for release.[4] Of the tracks, five ("Pelagos", "Halap", "Exilium", "Migration Mantra" and "Ufratu") are Battaglia compositions,[1] eleven are improvisations[2] and one is a traditional Arabic song, "Lama Bada Yatathanna", that is performed twice.[3] Applause was cut from the recording, so does not appear on the album.[2]

Some of the track titles are in keeping with the album's theme: "Lampedusa" is an Italian island where migrant boats from Libya landed.[2] "Horgos e Roszke" are towns on the Hungary–Serbia border.[2] "Exilium" means "exile" in Latin; while "Destino" is Italian for "destiny".[2] The first of these four is an improvisation; "Crushed notes, in pairs, become slowly louder, in protest or simply in pain."[2] The second is also an improvisation, played quietly.[2] The final two "are founded on a few dark repeating left-hand chords like knells of finality, from which Battaglia's right hand seeks release in markings upon silence, in isolated notes that gather to bare melodies."[2] Additionally, "Ufratu" is named after the Euphrates.[4]

Reception

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The JazzTimes reviewer believed that this was the best of Battaglia's ECM recordings: "Pelagos is an achievement of extraordinary depth, realized through an extraordinary range of artistic means."[2]

Track listing

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Disc one
No.TitleLength
1."Destino" 
2."Pelagos" 
3."Migralia" 
4."Lamma Bada Yatathanna" 
5."Processional" 
6."Halap" 
7."Dogon" 
8."Life" 
Disc two
No.TitleLength
1."Lampedusa" 
2."Hora Mundi" 
3."Lamma Bada Yatathanna" 
4."Exilium" 
5."Migration Mantra" 
6."Horgos e Roszke" 
7."Ufratu" 
8."Heron" 
9."Brenner Toccata" 
  • Tracks drawn from the concert performance are: 1, 3–6, 8 (CD1); 2, 4, 5, 8 (CD2)[1]

Personnel

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Pelagos – Stefano Battaglia". ecmrecords.com. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Conrad, Thomas (29 November 2017). "Stefano Battaglia: Pelagos (ECM)". JazzTimes. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  3. ^ a b McClenaghan, Dan (14 October 2017). "Stefano Battaglia: Pelagos". AllAboutJazz. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  4. ^ a b c Panken, Ted (November 2017). "Stefano Battaglia – Creation Without Compromise". DownBeat. p. 28.