AT NIGHT, ALONE, WITH YOU continues the personal journey that has defined my previous solo piano albums, RINASCITA and SPRING WILL COME. Like those earlier works, this album is a diary of my emotions, reflections, and memories—this time centered around the transformative experience of fatherhood. The nights I spent awake, cradling my daughter, are not merely metaphorical; they were real, sleepless nights that inspired these compositions. The use of the felt pedal throughout the album creates an atmosphere of tenderness and intimacy, as if each piece were a lullaby, delicately whispered to avoid disturbing my sleeping child. This approach reflects not only the sweetness and fragility of these moments but also the exhaustion and profound need for rest that accompany parenthood. AT NIGHT, ALONE, WITH YOU is a deeply introspective project that spans a wide range of emotions, from the shadows of solitude to the warm embrace of companionship. This journey unfolds across 24 solo piano tracks, each a step along a path that begins in darkness and moves toward the authenticity of connection and light
At Night
This EP takes the listener on a deeply introspective journey that begins in the quiet stillness of night. At Night, the first track, captures the haunting beauty of solitude, setting a contemplative tone for self-exploration. Dusty Photograph continues this theme, evoking nostalgia and emotions tied to past memories, which resurface like forgotten old photographs. As the night progresses, Winding Path represents the inner uncertainty and hesitations along life’s path, where doubts and fears must be faced. Finally, Reflection offers a moment of meditation that invites the listener to confront their own choices and identity, furthering a path of soul-searching and self-awareness.
Hand In Hand
A subtle shift is felt in Hand in Hand, where the sense of connection with others, whether real or imagined, begins to take form. The first track introduces the idea of being together, even if only through memory or longing. Deep Inside takes the listener further into the heart, exploring hidden fears and unspoken emotions in a necessary confrontation with oneself. This inner reflection leads to Falling Leaves, a track symbolizing the passage of time and the inevitability of change, with the fragility of life suggested by the image of leaves in the wind. The EP closes with Embers, where hope begins to reawaken, a symbol of resilience and the quiet persistence of life despite its challenges.
Nostalgia
This EP returns to the theme of memory with a softer, more accepting spirit. Nostalgia looks back at the past with a sense of longing, yet also peace. In Fragile, the vulnerability of the heart is explored, capturing the interplay of strength and delicacy in moments of authentic emotion. The central theme of Fading Away is the process of letting go, where the music speaks to the natural dissolution of parts of oneself, creating inner spaces that allow for true growth. The EP closes with Alone, a reflection on solitude, understood not as a burden, but as a necessary moment for self-discovery.
Concept
Cecilia, my daughter, has transformed my world. She brings a joy that words can’t fully describe and a love that keeps growing and rooting itself ever deeper within me. It’s a winding path that calls for new balances with my partner, family, and friends. Tracks like Falling Leaves and Silent Embrace hint at the emotional challenges, the incomprehensible cries, the doubts, and external pressures accompanying this profound life change. But this change has also been internal. Whether through the introspective solitude of At Night, the nostalgia of Dusty Photograph, or the ultimate resolution found in With You, my music once again seeks to resonate as a tool for personal growth, inviting listeners to explore their own emotions and relationships.
This has been a constant theme in my journey as a composer. AURORA, recorded in the Chapel of the Holy Grail, aimed to metaphorically represent the process of reconnecting with one’s inner self, encouraging a mindful and patient listening experience; SPRING WILL COME, composed during the first lockdown, was conceived as a meditation, a safe space for experiencing one’s emotions and thoughts; and with RINASCITA, I found healing power in music through sharing, recounting personal experiences and private reflections with immediacy.
My belief is that music can be an extraordinary means to be at peace with ourselves, with others, and with the world around us. AT NIGHT, ALONE, WITH YOU is another step along this path, where music and life become two facets of a unified experience.
The Piano
AT NIGHT, ALONE, WITH YOU was recorded on a late 19th-century Weber upright piano, a cherished family heirloom on which I took my first steps as a young pianist and composer. For an album so closely tied to the experience of fatherhood, choosing this particular instrument felt profoundly meaningful, as it represents my earliest musical memories more than any other. Its history, its character, and the marks of time on its wooden and metal body add a unique depth and warmth to the music, impossible to replicate on other pianos.
For this project, I entrusted the restoration to the master craftsman Michele Padovano, whose uncommon passion and ability to listen brought back its resonant, aged soul, guiding me through its strengths and weaknesses and preparing me for the challenge of recording.
The work was not without difficulties: its extreme sensitivity to temperature and humidity fluctuations made patient, ongoing maintenance essential to keep tuning and tone stable. Yet, capturing its authentic voice was crucial for expressing the emotional depth of the album, and every effort was well worth it. Its unmistakable timbre became the very heart of AT NIGHT, ALONE, WITH YOU.
Seeking the Sound of the Night
The 24 tracks of AT NIGHT, ALONE, WITH YOU follow a tonal path that symbolically accompanies the album’s emotional journey. It begins in the dark and reflective key of C minor, evoking introspection and melancholy, then gradually passes through all the others until it reaches the brightness of C major. For me, as a pianist, this key is symbolically clear even on a visual level, being tied to the white keys of the piano, suggesting a sense of openness and stability.
Each track is crafted with a carefully chosen key to guide the musical narrative. In the album’s first half, the tonal centers move downward, suggesting an inner descent: an exploration into the depths of the self, reaching a place of profound solitude and reflection. In the album’s second half, the tonal centers gradually rise, symbolizing an emotional rebirth and a return to light, culminating in the final resolution in C major, a symbol of renewed harmony with oneself and with others.
Once I began with the theme of the night, I leaned heavily into it both in composition and production. Musically, I focused on the piano’s mid-to-low registers, reserving the higher range for the final track, WITH YOU. For production, I opted for noisy, low-definition microphones to mimic how vision blurs in the absence of light.
Additionally, I deliberately chose what I call low-profile melodies and amplified their effect by replacing the usual felt on the piano hammers—thicker on the lower notes and thinner on the higher ones—with felt of even thickness. This decision intentionally disadvantaged the higher notes, weakening the melodic line. For me, melody represents the “individual” in music, and by softening it, I invite the listener to take center stage as the primary protagonist. The music thus becomes an instrument for accompanying their personal journey of self-discovery.
In this way, the tonal architecture, textures, and melodies combine to create a soundscape of the night and become a metaphor for the transformative power of music.
Credits
Music produced by Paolo Cognetti
Label: Karma Sounds
Digital distribution: Platoon
Piano Technician: Michele Padovano