Giorgio Costantini releases remastered album

www.pianopianoforte.com
www.myspace.com/giorgiocostantini
www.myspace.com/pianopianoforte

Giorgio Costantini is a Venetian pianist with an ear for sound that is rare amongst musicians of any kind. But when you realise that this is a classical artist who understands the complexities and nuances of dance music, it is clear that you are dealing with a special talent.

Costantini’s newly remastered album ‘PianoPianoForte’ is a perfect reflection of the many years he has spent making beautiful, evocative, hypnotic music. It is a collection of 15 tracks for piano, orchestra and synthesizer, in a balanced mix of classical and electronic music. Giorgio Costantini has worked for two decades as keyboardist, playing over 1200 shows with over 200 artists across so many genres of music; and his compositions show he has learnt from every one. He has also played on Italian TV shows with Lenny Kravitz, Elvis Costello, Dionne Warwick and José Carreras and has performed at many of the world’s most famous venues.

For his collection, Costantini immediately directed his efforts towards web distribution (iTunes, MySpace, CD Baby), deciding to avoid the old-fashioned route of the major labels.In autumn 2008, the "PianoPianoForte" MySpace profile reached the first position in the UK Top Artist Charts (and remained within the first ten places for eleven weeks) and the fifth position in the USA Top Artist Charts.

After achieving such phenomenal success, Giorgio Costantini decided to remaster the album with Will Quinnel - a sound engineer which has worked for Amy Winehouse, Nelly Furtado, Rihanna. On January 2009, "PianoPianoForte - remastered" hit the iTunes Italy Charts, reaching the first position for the "singles" category and the seventh position for the "album" category.

And the critics’ reviews have been just as glowing. None other than five-time Grammy nominated composer Suzanne Ciani called the album “Beautiful music – Great mood, great compositions, just beautiful.” Other five stars reviews have called Costantini’s music “strong”, “evocative” or “magical.” Such praise is even more remarkable given that these are the creations of an entirely self-taught musician.

The tunes, or probably soundscapes would be a better word, have flavours of the Italian opera sounds and Venetian classic composers that formed part of Costantini’s childhood, but also show the wide variety of influences on which he has drawn over the years. There are hints of the pioneers of electronic music: from Vangelis to Keith Emerson, and the piano influences of Ryuichi Sakamoto and Michael Nyman. And yet within these influences, there is still the sound of Costantini’s classical heroes, such as Vivaldi, Chopin and Debussy.

The term nu-classical can often mean a watered-down version of all that makes the great composers great. Yet ‘PianoPianoForte’smashes the myth that classical music cannot work in a modern context.

Maybe it is because it’s creator – and Costantini is, as composer, performer and producer truly the album’s creator – is something of a musical renaissance man.

In his professional activity, he has participated both as arranger, producer and session-man in the production of over 30 albums with various artists; albums which have won a total of 23 Gold Discs in his native Italy. Costantini is certainly no lightweight, and yet his art remains untainted by the trappings of such success.

His music ranges from the upbeat and moving "Tutto l'amor perduto" (All the love lost) to the brooding melancholia of "Valzer delle foglie morte" (Dead leaves' waltz). Every track is different and yet the album works wonderfully as a whole.

Costantini, whose ‘PianoPianoForte’ tour starts on April 25 at the Taipei National Theatre and Concert Hall, has already captured the hearts and ears of Europe. No doubt the rest of the world will soon follow.