… the beginning of a personal journey searching the essential…
Release Notes
Label: XXIM Records
Release: Anima I
Date: June 30th
Photo By: Dovile Sermokas
I think that each musical piece is so much more than just its melody, harmony and texture. I think it also has to do a lot with execution, especially when it comes to contemporary classical and solo piano pieces. It is during this performance that an instrument becomes an extension of the player, of their very body and their very soul. I suppose that is why, when it comes to performing classical music, we keep on seeing new recordings, interpretations and renditions thereof. You could have the most beautiful piece before you, but if you hammer on the keys, the magic is completely gone. And so, conversely, as it stands, a simple piece of music can transform the most beautiful moment, as if a whisper of enchantment, conveying feelings without words. In the hands of an Italian composer and pianist, Olivia Belli, whom I have profiled many times before, including this gorgeous studio feature, the piano softly shares its tale, the one it waited to reveal. The philosophical meaning of “anima” refers to the soul, primarily as it exists outside of the rational mind. In ancient Greek mythology, it represents the primordial breath that ignites all life inside us. On this solo piano piece, the video of which I am excited to premiere for you today, Olivia explores this spiritual space within us as a guiding light for transformation. And it expresses all there is to say…
The piece has an elegiac, calm and suspended character, almost an ancient melody, sung by a bard accompanied by the sound of his own zither. It was composed following a moment of intense recollection and meditation. Moments in which I seek answers to how to defend ourselves from a world that pushes us more and more towards materialistic values and beliefs, where there is no more space for the sacred and the spiritual, where appearing is more important than being.
— Olivia Belli
This beautiful piece is taken from Olivia Belli’s upcoming album on XXIM Records [official release date to be confirmed], which I am patiently awaiting. “Anima I” is the first single, and it is officially out on June 30th, 2023.
