Francesco Tristano: Piano Circle Songs

“I love the beats, I love the constant impulse. The music on Piano Circle Songs is the opposite. It’s very intimate, a melodic way of composing that has been largely inspired by the fact I had children. They made me explore a gentler phase of what I could do at the piano, in terms of writing.”
Francesco Tristano

With the release of his new album, acclaimed pianist Francesco Tristano returns to his first passion with a selection of beautiful, newly composed works for solo piano.

After several years of working with beat-driven electronic music, Piano Circle Songs explores the gentler, more innocent side of his creative personality with simple, poignant melodies being the key creative impetus.

This new album also features award-winning Canadian pianist and songwriter Chilly Gonzales on four of the tracks, of which Gonzales composed “Tryst” himself for the album.

Francesco Tristano - Grey Light (Official Video) © FTristanoVEVO

The album theme of “circle” reflects the cyclical nature of the pieces themselves; many of the works follow ABA form or extended variations of this. Tristano also drew inspiration from a chance conversation with Chilly Gonzales and reflections on the behavior of his children. It was important for Tristano to capture the intimacy of the music in both the recording and the postproduction phases. By purposefully placing mics close to the instrument, he wants the listener to experience the sensation of having “their ear inside the piano”.

Tristano performed the premieres of the music from the album in concert in Berlin, Munich, London and Paris.

Released: 8 September 2017

There are recital and orchestral (chamber and symphonic) versions of this project and upcoming highlights include: Rheingau Musik Festival, Alte Oper Frankfurt, Funkhaus Berlin, Orchestre National de Lille, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre philharmonique de Strasbourg, Cité de la Musique and La Seine Musicale Paris.