Pianista
Nikolai Kapustin composer
Horacio Salgán composer
Carlos Franzetti composer
Allison Brewster Franzetti piano
Allison Brewster Franzetti makes a charming return with PIANISTA, a new collection of recordings that the artist herself describes as a “rich musical tapestry.” Centered around Carlos Franzetti’s Minotaur in the Labyrinth suite, and supplemented with works by Kapustin and Salgán, PIANISTA colors itself in Franzetti’s signature style, a combination of jazz and tango alongside an always enticing homage to Argentinian sound, both folk and urban. These elements come together to drape PIANISTA in playful rhythms, warm harmonies, and the certain éclat only the pianista herself can deliver.
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Track Listing & Credits
| # | Title | Composer | Performer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 8 Concert Studies, Op. 40, No. 1: Prelude | Nikolai Kapustin | Allison Brewster Franzetti, piano | 2:36 |
| 02 | Contemplation, Op. 47 | Nikolai Kapustin | Allison Brewster Franzetti, piano | 6:38 |
| 03 | 8 Concert Studies, Op. 40, No. 8: Finale | Nikolai Kapustin | Allison Brewster Franzetti, piano | 3:36 |
| 04 | La Llamo Silbando | Horacio Salgán | Allison Brewster Franzetti, piano | 3:35 |
| 05 | Aquellos Tangos Camperos | Horacio Salgán | Allison Brewster Franzetti, piano | 4:14 |
| 06 | Don Agustín Bardi | Horacio Salgán | Allison Brewster Franzetti, piano | 4:04 |
| 07 | Minotaur in the Labyrinth for 3 Pianos: Minotaur and Theseus | Carlos Franzetti | Allison Brewster Franzetti, piano | 2:40 |
| 08 | Minotaur in the Labyrinth for 3 Pianos: Medusa | Carlos Franzetti | Allison Brewster Franzetti, piano | 3:02 |
| 09 | Minotaur in the Labyrinth for 3 Pianos: Icarus | Carlos Franzetti | Allison Brewster Franzetti, piano | 4:33 |
| 10 | Minotaur in the Labyrinth for 3 Pianos: Medea | Carlos Franzetti | Allison Brewster Franzetti, piano | 3:36 |
| 11 | Minotaur in the Labyrinth for 3 Pianos: Daedalus | Carlos Franzetti | Allison Brewster Franzetti, piano | 4:33 |
| 12 | Minotaur in the Labyrinth for 3 Pianos: Orpheus | Carlos Franzetti | Allison Brewster Franzetti, piano | 4:42 |
| 13 | Minotaur in the Labyrinth for 3 Pianos: Odysseus | Carlos Franzetti | Allison Brewster Franzetti, piano | 4:38 |
Recorded December 1-3, 2021 at Skywalker Sound, a Lucasfilm Ltd. company in Marin County CA
Producer Carlos Franzetti
Engineer Leslie Ann Jones
Assistant Engineer Dann Thompson
Editing Engineer Teng Chen
Mixing & Mastering Engineer Todd Whitelock
Executive Producer Bob Lord
A&R Director Brandon MacNeil
A&R Chris Robinson
VP of Production Jan Košulič
Audio Director Lucas Paquette
VP, Design & Marketing Brett Picknell
Art Director Ryan Harrison
Design Edward A. Fleming, Morgan Hauber
Publicity Aidan Curran
Artist Information
Allison Brewster Franzetti
The 2014 and 2018 Latin GRAMMY® Nominee for Best Classical Album and 2008 GRAMMY® Nominee for Best Instrumental Soloist without Orchestra, pianist Allison Brewster Franzetti has received international acclaim from critics and audiences alike for her stunning virtuosity and musicality, both as a soloist and chamber musician. Her performances include the live Latin GRAMMY® Awards television broadcast, the GRAMMY® Awards Classical Music Tribute to Earl Wild and Lang Lang at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, the American Classical Music Hall of Fame, the Robert Schumann Festival at the Marcella Sembrich Museum in Lake George NY, the Campeche Festival in Mexico, and at the opening of the VI International Festival of Music at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Notes
Pianista is particularly near and dear to my heart. We built this recording around Carlos’ seven-movement suite, Minotaur in the Labyrinth, commissioned by Ted Viviani for three pianists, including myself. Completed at the end of May 2020 during the early throes of COVID, a week following its completion Carlos underwent the first of three brain surgeries during the month of June. He made a full recovery after three months, but COVID subsequently made it impossible for three separate pianists to rehearse and record together, so in September of 2021 we decided that I would record all three parts myself. Luckily, we had dates reserved at Skywalker Sound for December 1-3.
As the suite is around 28 minutes, we then considered what pieces would have elements in common with Carlos’ music, which combines elements of tango, Argentine folkloric rhythms, and jazz idioms. The Kapustin and Salgán works we chose perfectly capture those elements, and together with Carlos’ suite, create a rich musical tapestry.
The first and third pieces in the Kapustin group, which bookend the 8 Concert Etudes Op. 40, remind me of the late, great jazz pianist Chick Corea, whose playing I have admired and studied since I was in my teens. Kapustin, himself a brilliant pianist, knew exactly how to compose so that classical pianists such as myself would play his music with style and panache. Contemplation is a moving and heartfelt piece, and I was immediately drawn to its gorgeous theme and harmonies and how Kapustin develops each of them.
The Salgán tangos are staples of the repertoire, which Salgán himself performed and recorded. La Llamo Silbando is a tango in a major key – rare for tango – and is very playful and entertaining with some elements of jazz harmonies. Aquellos Tangos Camperos relates more to the Pampas region of Argentina than the urban music of Buenos Aires. Don Agustin Bardi, which is Salgán’s homage to the music of this earlier renowned tango composer, is the most famous of the three tangos.
Thank you to everyone who made this recording possible!
— Allison Brewster Franzetti
