"città notte," (Night City) the album by Egisto Macchi is a masterpiece. A pal of Ennio Morricone, as well as both of them being part of the experimental and free-flowing Gruppo di Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza. This is a very focused album of compositional music, but using the instrumentation in startling aural textures. Macchi's approach is to express an urban area (a city) as a subject matter for this album. It's abstract space, but no doubt Italian.
From moment to moment "città notte" can change from lush strings to snarling electric guitar. Or both. When you have the beauty of the strings mixed in with harsh sounds of a guitar, or organ, it brings out the grandeur of the piece. Pain and pleasure equal bliss. Sparseness yet the aural canvas will eventually be full. There are no specific credits in who plays what on this album, recorded in 1972, but it's more of a hunch that Morricone plays trumpet, and it's almost like the sound of someone spitting against the wind.
On a financial level, I think this album was made for film production houses which need a certain type of music - mood pieces, or something romantic at times. Listening to it as an album project, which I suspect Macchi was playing both ends of the spectrum, is superb. It is truly a mix of the experimental, the gorgeous melodies, and an exploration of sound, and how it can transform a space. Playing this album in a room that is great for sound, it can't help but impress the listener.
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