What does Alberto Giurioli sound like?
A cinematic pianist with a love for life.
The review of Alberto Giurioli – Life
When listening to Alberto Giurioli’s new album ‘Life’ it’s difficult to not overstate its elegance. The pianist and composer has a very traditional fluid way of composing and playing. The kind you expect from post-classical composers that effortlessly have a cascade of notes at their fingertips. In a crowded, often corporatised world of the solo piano in this style, it is difficult to stand out with meaning.
That’s exactly what Alberto Giurioli does with his album. ‘Life’ is a collection of tracks that score key moments of Alberto’s life such as moving to London and being in a love/hate relationship of unfamiliar surroundings and chasing his dreams. This delicate balance of beauty, wonder, emotional swell and bittersweet aftertaste permeates almost every track on the album. If it’s not the devastatingly beautiful rises and falls of ‘Il Tempo delle Cose’ with an additional harp adding to the skipping beat, it’s the dramatic triads of ‘Hope’ that feel like they are daring to dream and then pulling back. It feels like the magic of post-classical music seen through a modern-day realism that provides a fatalistic edge. It is subtle but so pitch-perfect. It isn’t as if Alberto doesn’t take you on a joyous adventure, he does. It’s that either the strings or the piano bring in a counterpoint that speaks ‘don’t let your feet get off the ground’ musically.
Many tracks are piano solo affairs or like the sumptuous title track or the luxurious ‘Marie’, bombastic and full of symphonic string flair. However, Alberto Giurioli also catches the modern classical vibe too. Tracks like ‘Luglio’ play with subtle twinkling synths, drum loops and keyboard pads to bring a totally different Enya and Marc Almond does trip-hop Christmas flavour to things. ‘Gocce di Notte’ plays the string ensemble like an icy distant calm to create a tender and cinematic feel. ‘4am’ takes Alberto Giurioli into electronica and the dancefloor. It’s a complete celebration of life as if a new dawn really is a new day for optimism. From the playful octave slides to the euphoric chords and beats, it is a musical smile you cannot shake.
There is a lot to love about ‘Life’ and whilst there is a melancholic undertone, Alberto seems enamoured with life too. His bountiful gusto at the keys translates through to electric emotion. Even the tiniest of plinks has an element of forte about it. I think it’s a proudly romantic album – not about someone specifically but about life in general. Cinematic to the core, this is a life worth living.
Recommended track: Life
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