Fleuno

Release date: April 2

Fleuno, Italian flautist Roberto Fabbriciani’s debut Rattle release, is comprised solely of Roberto’s own compositions. Omaggio a Brunelleschi and Musica celestiale, the first and last tracks, are part of the recent work “Con il cielo dentro” commissioned and performed in the Florence Cathedral on the occasion of the 600th anniversary celebrations of Brunelleschi's Dome in 2022. In Playing (2018, for bass flute and magnetic tape), the solo flute interacts with two other pre-recorded flutes. Flutes also interact in Omaggio a Bruno Maderna (2019), where one plays live while the other is pre-recorded.

The same is true of Due Dimensioni (2020), which explicitly references the famous Maderna piece. Acoustic sounds intertwine with electronics to create a unique dialogue. In Pantomima (2013, for 2 flutes in C), virtuosic moments and intimate sonorities alternate. Fleuno (2018) references “Conversazione su Tiresia” by Andrea Camilleri, in which the writer describes Fleuno and his ‘inimitable flute’, featuring an excellent interpretation by narrator Luisella Botteon.

La Musica (2021) is inspired by Andrea Camilleri's latest work, “Autodifesa di Caino”, and is once again narrated by Luisella Botteon. Visioni di Dante (2022, a piece commissioned by the Arezzo Wave Festival) refers to the “Divina Commedia”. Elio’s reading briefly narrates three situations linked to Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. Sogna (1999) takes its name from an ancient village between Arezzo and Siena. The magnetic tape sounds begin from a distance, then the flute gradually interacts with the electronic sounds. Improvvisazione per un amico (2023, for piccolo) and Preludes Nos. 1 & 2 (for contrabass flute) are works that gradually take shape through extemporaneous performance, which highlights Roberto's improvisational skills.

When listened to in sequence, the pieces demonstrate a surprising stylistic homogeneity, despite being composed many years apart and in a variety of situations. They collectively express a precise and spherical sense of form and an astonishing musical coherence that might otherwise, by its very nature, tend towards the nebulous and elusive.