Concerto ostinato

Within its five movements, Concerto Ostinato explores in different ways the musical technique of “ostinato” through repetitive elements, such as rhythm, melodic motifs or bass line.
I The first short movement, Prologo, creates a peaceful setting: quiet sounds and a calm atmosphere. The continuous pulse in the strings introduce the first idea of ostinato.
II Bergamasca is a lively and bouncy traditional Italian dance built on a ground bass which supports numerous variations and embellishments. Based on the traditional dance structure I entrusted the harpsichord with the task of exposing and supporting the bass for the duration of the entire movement and, at the same time, interacting with a quintet of five wind instruments. Plucked strings enter gradually further supporting a gentle rhythmic flow of sound.
III The Intermezzo movement is a kind of scherzo (in the classical sense), a light central movement contrasting with the previous one where the principle of ostinato is broadened in the varied repetition of the theme.
IV Passacaglia is one of the most popular forms of ostinato and during the Baroque period experienced its greatest artistic expression. As the ostinato bass line progresses, it acts to support a gradually disintegrating harmonic construction. Increasingly, dissonances enter culminating in a harmonic collapse. After a jarring modulation that profoundly alters the mood, this new dynamic color is suddenly interrupted leading to the conclusion.
V In the final movement, we return to the original structure of the entire c oncerto, the ostinato. Here, a brilliant harmonic-rhythmic cell of pizzicato strings offer various dialog cues to the woodwinds and syncopated theme of the soloist. Quattro Canti, as the title suggests, is a guitar concerto divided into four movements. However, this is not the only interpretation, as happens in my other works. Those who know Palermo, Sicily will surely guess my intention to describe musically the heart of my birthplace: the prominent “Quattro Canti” (“Four Corners”), a monumental crossroads that has become one of the most characteristic symbols of Palermo. Though, there are two possible interpretations: experiencing the music one can become carried away by the flow of the four movements lead by the guitar theme or, literally standing in the center of Palermo at Quattro Canti, between Via Maqueda and Corso Vittorio Emanuele and from there observing the soul of the city. It is an attempt to represent musically four images of the city seen from this precise and unique position.
I Al Qasr, this is the Arabic name of the Corso Vittorio Emanuele, known as “Cassaro” to the people of Palermo. This area is the historical home of the urban dynamic and carefree social life, as well as a place of dramatic events that have marked the history of the city.
II Teatro del Sole (The Theatre of the Sun) is one of the names of the Four Corners: at any time of the day the sun is there, to observe and protect it. Canto del Sole (The Song of the Sun) is a slow movement, a hymn and a prayer, and a tribute to the beautiful light that shines upon every single stone in the city.
III The Spanish viceroy Don Juan Fernandez Pacheco de Villena y Ascalon gave Palermo this monument and the third movement is both a tribute and a parody to a proud and grotesque nobleman.
IV From Quattro Canti, a view of the sea is not possible without first noticing Porta Felice, or Happy Gate. It is the entrance to the sea, representing the beginning of a journey, a symbol of freedom, and an image of happiness. Very often my music is, more or less explicitly, linked to images or to more complex visual experiences. This is the case of T re Paesaggi (Three Landscapes), concerto for guitar, piano and string orchestra. An unusual, yet organic, connection between guitar, piano and string orchestra offered me the chance to explore the sound world of these three different categories of stringed instruments, as opposed to the more typical string orchestra. It is amazing to think about landscapes and how quickly they can be transformed. Witnessing a weather event distort and modify that same landscape is both exciting and awe-inspiring. The magic of nature, fortunately, still manages to touch every human being without any limitation of knowledge, age or temperament. It seems absolutely impossible that nature, with its symmetries and asymmetries, could not excite every single human being. Three Landscapes is in three mo vements, based on three different naturalistic paintings.
I The first movement, Alba (Dawn), describes the stages nature’s a wakening, from sunrise to full light. From a formal point of view, it is presented in two sections announced by a brief introduction. Although the two sections appear to contrast, they actually share the same harmonic material.
II The second movement, Vette (Peaks), evokes the serenity of the mountains, the stark winter sun, and mountains on the horizon. It is a slow movement, a short theme with two variations where the two soloists take turns as protagonists.
III The Maestrale (Mistral) is a wind from the north west of Sicily. I am v ery familiar with the sensation and path of this powerful breeze having experienced it most of my life. It can be very intense and powerful and enough to significantly modify the perception of the place itself. I just wanted to describe its lashings and powerful gusts in the third movement.
Francesco Di Fiore