Ivan Fedele
Mixtim

A curated, attentive music: with Ivan Fedele you are on the safe side, and you just have to choose among the various CDs released by Stradivarius that offer us an insight into his work: this "Mixtim" collects five instrumental works written for small chamber ensembles over a fifteen-year period, from 1988 to 2004.

In them, we find a very refined musical conception, almost esoteric: the opening piece, "Mixtim," is described as ritual music for seven performers (ritual because it consists of repetitions of musical phrases in a labyrinthine structure), while in "Notturno" for eleven performers there is a precious timbral research (for example, the vibraphone played with a bow, or the piano played directly on the strings) that creates a quiet atmosphere of anticipation and contemplation.

Ivan Fedele's language is the most daring of contemporary music: do not expect to find entertainment or escapism in this CD. But if you sit down to listen, here are sophisticated sounds, writing of great quality, a remarkable sonic impetus achieved with limited instrumental means - at least in the ensemble.

Here and there, Fedele's tendency to exchange the protagonist role among the various instruments surfaces: for example, in "Arcipelago Möbius" for clarinet and string trio, where a beautiful cello solo is noted even though the clarinet is the solo instrument. The same happens in "Profilo in eco" for flute and ensemble, where the duel between soloist and ensemble results in lively and flickering sonic metamorphoses.

A solo also occurs in the second piece of the CD, "Il giardino di giada" for flute and string trio, in this case a reflective and analytical moment, entrusted to the flute, before the final recapitulation of the whole ensemble.

The total duration of the CD is 1 hour and 5 minutes, certainly recommended for those who want to familiarize themselves with one of the most renowned Italian composers.