Compositions

During the compositional process of This House Of God Sure Ain’t Silent, Massimo visited the chapel of the old Johannes de Deo hospital in Utrecht several times. This location has a unique reverberation that responds differently to each tone. Together with clarinettist Oriol Marès, Massimo tried to capture this reverb and make it part of his composition. Rests play an important part in this piece; they are not seen as simple moments of silence, but in conjunction with the reverberation of the chapel they become a pivotal part of the composition, causing a constant interaction between musician and location. It is therefore recommended that this piece is performed in a reverb-rich environment.

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This piece for classical guitar blends consonant harmonies and diatonic melodies with atonality and dissonance. The duality of this way of composing can initiate a feeling of dialogue between two speakers and it is expected of the instrumentalist to portray this feeling to the best of their abilities. The piece is best performed in a reverb-rich environment, in which the reverberation acts as a quasi ’third’ speaker, not so much commenting on the other two voices, but acting more as an umbrella connecting them both and bonding them closer together.

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These seven pieces explore a wide range of possibilites in piano playing. Among the most important of these are the percussive qualities and dynamic capabilites the instrumentalist is able to wield. Similtaneously, the pieces explore a diverse array of harmonies, ranging from quasi-serialist to flirtations with Jazz.

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Igor’s Third Espresso tells the story of the hecticness of modern life. The inspiration for this piece was a truly ‘busy bee’ that Massimo encountered during his studies at the Utrechts Conservatory. The main skeleton of the composition exists of a piano ostinato which is varied upon throughout the piece; the ostinato represents the constant, uninterrupted flow of thoughts of the modern working man.

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