Bruno Bavota is an Italian pianist and composer. Mediterraneo, his latest full-length, has actually nothing to do with the sea. This album is about love, harmony, dreams and warmth. According to the biography, the album was recorded on a dark night as an emotional experiment for the composer. Later it was represented during a tour in Japan. The emotions he must have felt during the recording session are clearly present in the music, as it is dreamy and warm, a bit like I imagine a summer night in Italy.
Mediterraneo opens with 'Interlude', which immediately sets the tone for the entire album. For the main part, these are gentle piano ballads, sometimes accompanied by violin or soundscapes. This combination makes 'Hands' and 'Alba' amazingly beautiful tracks. However, also the piano-only songs are excellent. Often the fade-out between one note and the next shows so much musical craftsmanship that the music almost becomes something magical.
'Who Lives, Lives' is a very strong piece of piano music that seems to represent a state of solitude. I can imagine that the composer felt lonely at times in this recording experiment and has captured that emotion brilliantly. This 'naked' feel is present in many songs. 'The Night' and title track 'Mediterraneo' also breathe this atmosphere. The latter even reminds me how the word 'meditation' is present in the title. This is indeed some very meditative music.
In a way this album reminds me of the music by people like Olafur Arnalds, Nils Frahm and Sebastian Plano but without the clear presence of electronics and percussion. Like the previously mentioned composers, Bavota knows how to turn classical inspired music into something that sounds very modern and very warm. This talent seems to have sparked a new interest in classical music, finding new listeners everywhere.
I love every second of this album, which at times almost moved me to tears, and I honestly recommend it to anyone who looks for a save haven in this stressful world and to anyone who listens to acts like A Winged Victory For The Sullen and similar artists. This is a brilliant piece of work and extremely welcome on a day like this...
Serge