Italian avant-garde composer and double bassist Stefano Scodanibbio was better known among his fellow composers and instrumentalists than among general listeners before his death in 2012 from ALS, otherwise known as Lou Gehrig's disease. He was appreciated for his skill at writing difficult music, in both the compositional and instrumental senses, for the bass and other instruments, and true to form, his music has gained some popularity after his death. Despite its difficulty and generally its atonality (none of the pieces ...
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Italian avant-garde composer and double bassist Stefano Scodanibbio was better known among his fellow composers and instrumentalists than among general listeners before his death in 2012 from ALS, otherwise known as Lou Gehrig's disease. He was appreciated for his skill at writing difficult music, in both the compositional and instrumental senses, for the bass and other instruments, and true to form, his music has gained some popularity after his death. Despite its difficulty and generally its atonality (none of the pieces here uses a tonal center), his music retains a strong direct appeal and a connection to the great virtuoso tradition. Several recordings of Scodanibbio's music are available, but there is much to recommend this one by double bassist Daniele Roccato, a close friend of the composer and one who worked with him to realize his ideas as his condition worsened. That adds a moving personal dimension to the music, and what's more, the soloistic settings keep the focus on Scodanibbio's...
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