Olivia Belli: Mater Olivia Belli

• 1 Aditus 02:24
• 2 Mater Lacrimans 04:56
• 3 Fumes 03:25
• 4 Ex Voto 03:29
• 5 Mater dolens 03:45
• 6 Countdown 03:55
• 7 Exitio 02:57
• 8 De anima 07:08
• Total Runtime 31:59

Info zu Olivia Belli: Mater

MATER is a musical investigation and denunciation on environmental issues.

"I composed it together with my husband in our studio in Le Marche (Italy) between June and November 2019, based on themes taken from the Stabat Mater of Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, who was native to our same region. It deals with a topic that has always been very close to me: nature. My works are largely inspired by the nature around me - my land, my surroundings - that turns into a symbol of something else. Up to now, I have dealt with this topic in intimate, personal terms. MATER, on the other hand, speaks of nature in a global sense, nature that involves all humanity, nature that is facing huge problems of various kinds that touch the life of each human being." (Olivia Belli)

It is a natural occurrence once people get older for their thoughts to expand and take on more of a considered interest in what could be classified as "The Big Questions". The reflection of where they have come from, where they are going and the various environments around them, all come into play. It makes sense that these sort of concerns become a central focus of a person's thoughts as they take upon information and combine it with their own concerns, feelings and experiences and these combinations are those which inform and guide a person through the next stage of their lives. The major environmental concern that the world faces is one of a bigger picture. Once people have children they become acutely aware of just what their impact is on their environment and what sort of a world that they will be leaving for their children and other generations to follow.

These are the sorts of concepts that have been inspiring Italian pianist Olivia Belli and her husband Enrico. After experiences living in Metropolitan areas the couple made the move to the Marche countryside where they can better care for their environment and experience a more present and less invasive form of living. Belli's "Mater" follows on from her album "River Path" which was influenced by the river than runs along the valley close to her home and shows that the natural environment is one that inspires Belli immensely. The Mater connection and the area where Belli lives are intertwined. Other than the environment, the album is influenced by the composer Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, a composer from the same region and his work "Stabat Mater" (1736). The piece, which composed just prior to his death of Tuberculosis and 26 years of age, is one which is defined as a sacred work which evokes the suffering of Mary at Jesus' crucifixion and indeed has a rough translation of "Beautiful Mother". With Belli's environmental inspiration, you could easily draw the comparison from Mary to Mother Earth and the suffering being all the turmoil, pollution, fires, climate change that exists now. The music of Pergolesi's "Stabat Mater" is largely based on strings and solo voices while Belli takes this influence and channels it through her piano playing.

What Belli is able to create on the album is some of her finest work. There is a sense in the pieces that a lot of deep thought and consideration has been engaged in so as the music fits in with its themes with the most impact that it can. Belli is not just a pianist as evidenced by her lunar inspired album "Four Moons" (2019) which showed her talents as a composer of soundscapes as well as piano. This is evident by the strings and ambience that open the first two pieces before Belli's piano announces itself on "Fumes" with a plaintive feel that shows a tenderness, a concern and a hint of hope, like it is not too late for change to occur. With "Ex Voto" the mix of piano and strings represent different feelings. The piano evokes a melancholic feeling which is juxtaposed with the inspiring and soaring strings which take flight in the second half of the piece. This particular track becomes a turning point in both the mood and feeling of the album which is evident on such pieces as the operatic grandeur of "Countdown" (the profits from this track will be fully directed to Global Wildlife Conservation whose mission is to conserve the diversity of life on Earth working in partnership with many global organizations as IUCN, Earth Alliance, KBA, etc), the contemplative soundscape of "Exitio" (which evokes her "Four Moons" release) and the flat out exultant "De Anima" which shows Belli in full magnificent flight. "De Anima" is worth the price of admission alone and nicely brings the collection to a close with its joy, positivity and expression of passion.

Released by Fabrizio Paterlini's Memory Recordings label, "Mater" is a landmark release in Olivia Bell's career and destined to be on many best of lists at the end of the year. In essence it's a personal tribute to the world that we live in, but it also acts as a way of inspiring people to be good to one another and think about what exists within and around them. (Written by Drifting, Almost Falling )

Composed, recorded and mastered by Olivia and Enrico Belli in their studio in Le Marche (Italy) – is based on themes taken from the Stabat Mater of Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, who was native to their same region.

Released for the Memory Recordings Label as a tribute to the 50° Anniversary of the Earth Day (April 22nd, 2020)

Olivia Belli, piano

Olivia Belli
is a modern classical pianist and composer. Based in the Marche region of central Italy, Belli has reached a worldwide audience, being featured on radio stations such as BBC Radio 3, Classic FM, BBC 6 Music, KEXP and Radio France, and has received millions of streams across leading platforms. She has performed live in venues such as the Royal Albert Hall’s Elgar Room, TivoliVredenburg Utrecht, Sala Clamores in Madrid, and Silent green Kulturquartier in Berlin.

Last season, Belli was commissioned by the BBC Proms to write a new work for organist Anna Lapwood. Entitled Limina Luminis, the work premiered to critical acclaim and was broadcast live on BBC Radio 3. Belli also released the EP Sonus Noctis, and gave live performances at Montréal International Jazz Festival and Ottawa’s Music and Beyond Festival

In the 2023/24 season, Belli releases her next album, entitled Intermundia. Written for piano and string trio, Belli recorded with leading members of the Max Richter Ensemble Louisa Fuller, John Metcalfe, and Chris Worsey. She will also compose a new work for violinist Mari Samuelsen.

Belli is exclusively signed with Sony Music’s XXIM Records. On her album Somnio Novo (2022), Belli explores the nocturnal world and the concept of dreams. Throughout this collection of works, Belli returns to the material of her previous album Sol Novo (2021), meaning ​“new sun, new day”. Sol Novo was presented on Scala Radio, Soho Radio and the ClassicFM, and was included in Apple Music’s Classical Live. Previous albums include River Path (2020), released on 1631 Recordings/​Decca Records, and Where Night Never Comes (2018).

In April 2020, Belli recorded and released the ecologically-inspired ensemble album Mater with her husband and musical collaborator, Enrico Belli. The project was conceived as a tribute to the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, and profits from the project were donated to the Global Wildfire Conservation charity.

Belli was the first female composer to have been invited by Apple Music to curate its Piano Chill playlist and has been chosen as the cover of Spotify’s EQUAL: Classical playlist, which celebrates the great female composers who continue to transform the classical world. She is a Recording Academy member.

A conservatory-trained pianist, having studied with pianists such as Lazar Berman and Jörg Demus, Belli initially toured Italy, Spain and the United States as a classical performer and released a series of acclaimed albums of music by leading contemporary composers including Philip Glass and Max Richter.

Dieses Album enthält kein Booklet