Daniela Salvoldi - Transformazioni

  by Dave Goodwin

published: 15 / 5 / 2016

Label: Daniela Salvoldi
Format: CD

intro

Beautifully-crafted and frequently surprising debut album from Brazilian/Italian cellist, Daniela Savoldi

This is not my usual sort of thing, to be honest. I can listen to classical music but I am not a big fan. That is, however, until I hear the sound of the cello. One of my big loves in life is the sometimes mournful and morose sound of the cello. ‘Transformazioni’, the first full recording from Brazilian-Italian cellist Daniela Savoldi who lives and works in Brescia, Italy, is, however, an amalgamation of not just classical influences but she also in mixes pop, jazz, contemporary and oriental sounds. They intertwine themselves beautifully, creating a myriad of different moods and showing a devilish streak which totally caught me off guard. The album is said to reveal walks in the desert, Eastern crossroads, walking animals, dissonances, surprises, people, dreams, and I get all of that. Savoldi has studied the cello since the age of ten, and after graduating she explored other genres to experiment with new ideas which have included klezmer, bossa nova, Indian music, rock, pop, folk music and she has also studied music copyright. The album itself was produced by Lorenzo Caperchi, a sound engineer and producer at Red Carpet studios in Brescia who has collaborated with other artists, mainly from the indie scene. Savoldi has played with bands including Muse, both in the studio and live and has also recorded with Caliber 35, Tooth, Nada Malanima, Gianni Maroccolo and Alessandro Mannarino. The opener, ‘Lamento’ reminds me of the haunting sound of whales talking to each other miles away in the deep. It incorporates Salvodi’s cello with a double beat of a single drum beating away like a heartbeat. ‘Cavalcata’ is a more upbeat affair which features a racing guitar and which mixes other strings with Savoldi's morose cello. Deep inside there are the first glimpses of a rebellious nature, a kind of screw you to the norm. Savoldi's classic restraints are broken and out comes the cellist's devilish side. ‘Viaggi’ is a quiet pool in the ocean of ‘Transformations’ until the devil reappears halfway through and grabs you by the scruff of the neck then disappears and leaves you in a scene from ‘Twin Peaks’. The strange ‘People’ is a drifting, building and wonderfully sad piece of work which descends into a menagerie of screaming banshees before concluding with a brilliant, sombre end. The smooth start to ‘Sorrendi’ is a little more poppy than the most part of this album, but don’t be fooled. Towards the end Beezlebub takes over and we have another glimpse of Savoldi's wicked side until it all ends and leaves you wrapped up in a calm and satisfying blanket comforted by a cup of cocoa but also has you with one eye on the door. Marvellously Cellotastic!

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