Gianluigi Trovesi & Gianni Coscia: Fr?re Jacques: Round About Offenbach

Frã¨re Jacques: Round About Offenbach

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Cat No: 2781135

Release Date: 24 October 2011

Label: ECM

Packaging Type: Jewel Case

No of Units: 1

Barcode: 602527811352

Genres: Jazz Classical

Description
Third ECM album from the much-loved duo of Italina clarinettist Gianluigi Trovesi and accordionist Gianni Coscia. Following on from In Cerca Di Cibo and Round About Weill, here is another generous helping of their adroit musicianship and sly humour, this time in celebration of a French soul brother - Jacques Offenbach, master of the operetta.

Trovesi and Coscia journey around their subject by the scenic route. Their own composed and improvised responses to Offenbach revolve around their arrangements of his works - including selections from La Belle HÃ©lÃ¨ne, La PÃ©richole, La Grande-Duchesse de GÃ©rolstein, and Les Contes d'Hoffmann. Once again, Umberto Eco, multiple-prize winning literary giant (a friend of Gianni Coscia's since teenage years) contributes liner notes. Eco suggests that not everyone will recognize Offenbach straight away in these musical meditations in which the duo are likely to slip into swing or rhythm and blues at a moment's notice ("certainly not in the search for Offenbach, maybe in search of themselves")...

Offenbach, French composer of German origin (born in Cologne in 1819), wrote some of the most playful and sparkling scores of the 19th century, ingenious music that could be beautiful and highly satirical by turns, always meticulously crafted. Unconcerned whether his work was regarded as high art, unafraid of frivolity, cheerfully parodying Wagner and other cultural icons - how could Offenbach not be a hero for Trovesi and Coscia?

Gianluigi Trovesi is one of the great soloists in jazz and there is plenty of virtuosity on display, always delivered with great charm. As Ivan Hewett wrote in the Daily Telegraph: "There's an innocence about Trovesi which, despite the vast gulf of time and place reminds one of jazz's innocent beginnings a century ago." Coscia is much more than accompanist. His accordion takes on both soloist and quasi-orchestral roles and he is ready to challenge Trovesi as well as provide beautiful colours and settings.

Personnel: Gianluigi Trovesi (piccolo and alto clarinets), Gianni Coscia (accordion)
Tracklisting