Various Artists - Marco Nodari: Vertigo (2019)

Ikébana, Japanese Fantasia
The piece is built and based on three popular japanese melodies very well-known, that are presented and harmonized in a personal way. The organization of the piece is: Intro, theme A (elaboration of a part of the melody “Nanatsu no ko”), theme B (quote of the melody “Sakura Sakura”), theme A varied and differently harmonized, theme C (“Tanko Bushi”); at the end a Coda (new short variation of A). Recapitulating: Intro-A-B-A’-C-Coda (A”); to notice that the melodies are joined by short connections and developments.

Aria
The piece has a slow pace and a lyric-expressive character. The melody develops on a repetitive harmonic structure and basic line outlining a sort of modern passacaglia.
The chant, assigned to the right hand and quite simple at the beginning, becomes richer and richer at any following variations, as well as more complex and polyphonic. Even the rhythmic articulation proceeds towards a progressive intensification reaching its peak at the forte of the 12th variation. At the end, after a strong cadential thrust, the music fades away in a sweet pianissimo.

A small reverent tribute to J.S.
In a series of original compositions for organ it could not be missing a tribute to the greatest composer for this instrument. At the beginning of the piece, a short rhythmic-melodic motif is introduced, from which a section springs in almost imitated style, with sudden explosions of motor energy and a shifting, unsteady and variable harmony. In the central section the above-mentioned thematic motif transforms itself and changes character: the initial lightness bends towards introspection, and the original harmony, characterized by a joyful pandiatonicism in the early sections, gives way to an expressive chromaticism. The final part of the piece is again full of brio, the range is wide and the dynamic is forte.

Vertigo
Virtuosistic toccata-style musical piece to be played with momentum. It is almost entirely characterized by semiquaver quadruplets and scales rapidly going up and likewise precipitously down, creating a sensation of “moto perpetuo” and vertigo. Only in the middle of the piece the constant flow of quick notes gives the impression of being interrupted. In this short internal section the value of quarter notes prevails, resulting in a slowing down of the main pace or tempo, though contrasted by an unsteady and capricious harmonic movement. A last energetic and darting section closes the piece.

4 Invenzioni
The four pieces belong to two separate collections (1st and 2nd series). All the six Invenzioni composing them were thought for the Italian ancient organ (only manual) with the consequent restrictions at the expense of harmony and instrumental technique.
The first Invenzione presented is built mostly on the Dorian mode and it is moved and brilliant; the second instead, is based on the Mixolydian scale and it is characterized by a slow pace; the third is founded again on the Dorian mode, and the fourth on the Lydian scale and shares with the second one the pace and the lyric-meditative character.

Polychromy
As the title suggests, the piece was inspired by the light, vivid and sparkling with thousand colours and shades, filtering from the stain glass windows of a Gothic cathedral. All the composition is built around the continuous variation of a short, unique and almost minimal motif of 4 notes introduced at the very beginning. These few notes are proposed in many ways throughout the piece, both from a harmonic point of view and as far as sound and texture are concerned, changing continuously, but remaining always recognizable. At the end of the composition a short meditative moment preludes to the blazing final Coda.

Epigraph
Strongly autobiographic composition, it is characterized by an intense chromaticism, at times by moments of harmonic sourness, that is to say full and dense episodes, yet justified by a precise musical directionality. In the piece two attitudes alternate, two different musical characters: an initial solemn and epic theme, which turns into dramatic and upset, is followed by an episode wholly introspective and elegiac. Later the two contrasting thematic-expressive moments come up again, even though greatly renovated.
At the end a Coda leads to a huge sound divergence between the hands: the left sinks to the deepest bass, while the right ascends to the extreme highs.

The Lord is my shepherd
Psalm 23 is one of the best known of the Old Testament. Here David describes the Lord as his shepherd, who guides him along the way of life. This Psalm, which can be divided into 3 stanzas, develops the theme of trust. Likewise, this musical piece can be divided into 3 parts, preceded by a short introduction and followed by a Coda played by the organ. The first part (in a verse it says “He makes me lie down in green pastures”) as well as the third have a pace moderately mosso and a calm character. Instead, the central part is slower and more thoughtful, in accordance with the meaning of the words (“Even when I walk in a dark valley”). The mainly syllabic melody is embellished by some melismas, while the accompaniment of the organ is almost polyphonic in style (though not imitative) and harmonically rich.

Album Notes by Marco Nodari