adEIdJ – Associazione delle Etichette Indipendenti di Jazz

Press Release

Francesco Chiapperini returns to release for Caligola five years after «On the Bare Rocks and Glaciers». He does so again with a thematic work and a chamber–style ensemble (previously leading a sextet, here a quartet, both featuring violinist Virginia Sutera). The previous album was inspired by the Alpine world and mountains, while in «Italian Mottetto», the clarinetist explores new sonic perspectives by reimagining some of Giulio Caccini’s works through a jazz lens. A seminal figure at the Medici court in the early seventeenth century, Caccini played a pivotal role in the musical evolution that led to the emergence of the representative style, an innovative approach that granted words greater expressive freedom, marking the shift from the polyphonic madrigal to monody, and opening the path toward the Baroque. Inspired by the poetry of Gabriello Chiabrera, Caccini fused words and melody into a refined expressive balance. This quartet blends the spirit of chamber music and African American musical tradition, building a bridge between Caccini’s formal, narrative world and the more spontaneous, dynamic realm of jazz, whose language nonetheless remains its main inspiration. Through dense musical dialogues and rich timbral interplay, the ensemble reshapes Caccini’s compositions, preserving their vocal lines and enhancing their beauty and melodic intensity. The violin of the already mentioned Sutera, the refined voice of Valentina Fin, and the versatile double bass of Andrea Grossi complement the bass clarinet of the leader in the best possible way in a project that goes far beyond mere reinterpretation.
 

Track List

01. Benvenuti a corte
02. O, che felice giorno!
03. Amor io parto
04. Dovrò dunque (morire)
05. Fere selvagge
06. La danza delle fere
07. Lacrime sospese
08. Queste lagrim amare
09. Diteli voi
10. Piume sonore
11. Tu ch'hai le penne
12. Eco di un dolcissimo sospiro
13. Fra i petali di Amarilli
14. Amarilli mia bella
15. Queste lagrim amare (pizzicato reprise)

All compositions by Francesco Chiapperini, inspired by the music of Giulio Caccini 

Personnel

Francesco Chiapperini (bass clarinet)
Valentina Fin (vocals)
Virginia Sutera (violin)
Andrea Grossi (double bass)
 

Recording Data

Recorded, mixed and mastered between 2025 and 2025 at InterPlay Recording Studio, Milano, Italy, by Lorenzo Sempio