About this Release
“I met Karl Fiorini for the first time in London in 2007. At the time he was working intensely on seeking new musical paths overcoming academicism. I was quickly immersed within his novel ideas. Our artistic partnership has since evolved and deepened from time spent between Malta and Venice, moving on to Brussels, Paris and Vienna, and over the years we've developed a lasting, great friendship. Interpreting Fiorini’s music has been a particularly effective journey for me. Technically, intellectually, spiritually, his Piano Sonata is enormously difficult – a work where virtuosity and physical facility is not merely a question of speed or dexterity but a means towards the realisation of sound and the absolute control of its release.” — Charlene Farrugia
FIORINI, KARL (b.1979)
In the Midst of Things
Piano and Chamber Music
- Charlene Farrugia, piano
Maltese composer Karl Fiorini is a European without frontiers – the compositions in this album reflect his early detachment from a Mediterranean identity towards a more varied and intense sound world. Trio Lamina features elements of Bartók’s ‘night music’ in its complex sub-sections, whereas Fiorini’s two piano studies, which predate his move to Paris, already exude a Gallic ambience. Influenced by North African folk music, the Piano Trio expands his global reach, and the Piano Sonata, a gritty virtuoso concert piece, shifts geographical influence towards Eastern Europe to powerful effect. All of these world première recordings were recorded in the presence of the composer.
This recording was made on a modern instrument: Steinway & Sons, Model D. 274 (2011)
Tracklist
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1
Trio Lamina (2002) (00:10:04)
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2
Les âmes effleurées (2007) (00:05:17)
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3
Reflets flous (2008) (00:04:32)
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4
Piano Trio (2005) (00:12:18)
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5
Piano Sonata (2017) (00:10:45)
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In the Midst of Things (2019) (00:16:00 )
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6
I. Grave - Vivo (00:06:03)
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7
II. dotted half note = 52 - Meno mosso - (00:03:41)
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8
III. Patetico, ma non troppo - Poco più mosso - Molto più lento (00:03:31)
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9
IV. Presto - Poco più mosso (00:03:06)
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The Artist(s)
Maltese pianist Charlene Farrugia studied with Dolores Amodio and Diana Ketler at the Royal Academy of Music in London. She was subsequently mentored by Boris Petrushansky for several years. Farrugia gained her doctorate in performance under Kenneth Hamilton with a thesis on piano repertory for the left hand. In 2018 she received Malta’s International Achievement Award, and in 2020 she was made an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music in recognition of her contribution to the music profession. An ambassador of EMMA for Peace (Euro Mediterranean Music Academy), under the auspices of UNESCO, she is currently associate professor of piano at the Academy of Music of the Juraj Dobrila University in Pula, Croatia. She has toured widely, with engagements taking her throughout Europe to North America and the Far East. The Composer(s)
Composer Karl Fiorini is internationally recognised as one of the new voices in classical music. Fiorini’s prolific career started at the age of 10, whose opus today totals more than 50 compositions, ranging from solo to chamber music to orchestral works. His repertoire includes two violin concertos, four piano concertos, a cantata and two symphonies as well as numerous works for orchestra both with and without voice. His style is marked with a sense of self-mockery and eclecticism, without lapsing into clichés. Reviews
“The performers bring out the best in the scores, rendering them all with marvelous skill, vigor, transparency, and commitment…” – American Record Guide
“The performances are exemplary with all four instrumentalists making light and sympathetic work of Fiorini's often challenging writing.” – Planet Hugill
Also Available
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
