Navona Records artist Bruce Leto’s latest album of solo piano works synthesizes the tribulations and perseverance of the human spirit in the age of COVID-19, while also taking a look at some of the more bewildering aspects of the global response. Gomitolo! - named after the Italian expression that loosely translates to “the incomprehensibility of human life" - is a fitting tribute to the European countries heavily impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, featuring solo piano performances of works by Poulenc, Ravel, and fellow Parma artist Curt Cacioppo...

At first I was a little cynical and questioned whether this release was originally designed to have a COVID subtext, or whether the marketing department realised it was a clever way to give it more of a modern context. It could just as easily have been a response to the ridiculous side show that is Brexit, with UK voters being duped into voting against their best interests (ooo, political), or a response to how European countries are reacting to the decade long financial situation that has seen record low interest rates and ridiculously high house prices.

However, this album was originally conceived out of a pressing need in Bruce Leto’s music community. Faced with possible faculty layoffs at the Settlement Music School in Philadelphia in April 2020, Leto participated in a virtual gala to benefit the school. The inspiration for Gomitolo! arose from this experience. Here, he interprets the works of European and American masters - with each work speaking in some way to the crisis and the resulting global response.

Leto describes composer Francis Poulenc’s music, for example, as “as serious, capricious, and bewildering as the global response to COVID-19.” Likewise, Leto finds meaning in the more whimsical pieces by Ravel and Cacioppo, a badly-needed dose of levity during unprecedented times.

It's an incredibly short album, coming in at just 10 tracks (23 min, 41 sec) but there's a nice balance and harmony of styles here that make it an interesting collection for lovers of classical piano recordings.

Track listing:

Francis Poulenc
01 - “Francaise” (1:46)

Francis Poulenc
02 - Novelette I. C Major (3:19)

Francis Poulenc
03 - Promenades: No. 1 a Pied (1:20)

Maurice Ravel
04 - Menuet sur le nom de Haydn (2:08)

Francis Poulenc
05 - Impromptus: No. 3 “Tres Modere” (1:38)

Francis Poulenc
06 - Improvisation No. 12 in E-Flat Major (Homáge a Schubert) (2:19)

Francis Poulenc
07 - Novellette 3. E Minor (2:40)

Maurice Ravel
08 - Valse: A la Maniere de Borodine (1:44)

Curt Cacioppo
09 - Ecco Venere (LIVE) (5:14)

Francis Poulenc
10 - “Sicilienne” (1:40)

7

Darren Rea