{"id":5341,"date":"2025-09-29T13:44:14","date_gmt":"2025-09-29T13:44:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theconcertwitness.com\/?p=5341"},"modified":"2025-09-29T13:44:18","modified_gmt":"2025-09-29T13:44:18","slug":"luigi-grasso-la-dimora-dell-altrove","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theconcertwitness.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/29\/luigi-grasso-la-dimora-dell-altrove\/","title":{"rendered":"Luigi Grasso – La Dimora dell Altrove"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Between Heimweh and Fernweh<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

After the symphonic scope of Dantesca<\/em>, Luigi Grasso turns to questions of identity, home, and longing in La Dimora Dell\u2019Altrove<\/em> (The Abode of Elsewhere). Commissioned by the NDR Bigband, where Grasso has been a member since 2019, the suite unfolds across two themes\u2014Heimweh<\/em> (homesickness) and Fernweh<\/em> (wanderlust)\u2014and a series of variations that balance orchestral color with improvisational freedom. The 40-minute work is less a showcase for Grasso\u2019s saxophone virtuosity than a carefully crafted exploration of how large ensemble jazz can carry a narrative.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Orchestral colors and thematic openings<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The album begins with Primo Tema<\/em>, introduced through suspended voicings that recall Gil Evans before sliding into a 6\/8 groove. Grasso\u2019s soprano solo sets the mood: searching, fluid, but never overpowering the ensemble. Already, the balance between personal expression and orchestral design is evident. The first variation strips away the pulse, leaving space for Percy Pursglove\u2019s muted trumpet. His rubato phrasing, moving from tightly enclosed sound to a broader open tone, suggests both homage to Miles Davis and a renewal of the language for a contemporary context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secondo Tema<\/em> shifts the atmosphere with a 5\/4 groove tinged by Latin accents. Fiete Felsch\u2019s flute and Klaus Heidenreich\u2019s trombone carry the melody, while the saxophone section\u2019s tight voicings anchor the arrangement. Grasso\u2019s baritone solo digs into the rhythmic core, his phrasing grounded and full-bodied, contrasting with the more ethereal flute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n


Variations and contrasts<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Variazione II Primo Tema<\/em> draws the music back into a mysterious space, with Julius Gawlik\u2019s clarinet framed against Marcio Doctor\u2019s delicate percussion and a piano counterline that recalls chamber textures. The writing here emphasizes Grasso\u2019s control of dynamics and his ability to create intimacy within a large ensemble context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Momentum returns in Variazione III Primo Tema<\/em>, driven by a sharp 11\/8 groove. Sandra Hempel takes center stage with a modern guitar solo that cuts through the ensemble, followed by Frank Delle\u2019s tenor, which adds warmth and breadth to the saxophone family sequence. Jochen R\u00fcckert closes with a driving drum feature, his ability to combine flow and muscle underscoring why he is such a vital presence across the album.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
    \n
  • \"\"<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • \"\"<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • \"\"<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Closing arcs and unresolved journeys<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Variazione I Secondo Tema<\/em> opens with pianist Florian Weber\u2019s bass-line figure, spun into an improvisation that moves seamlessly between rhythm and rubato impressionism. Grasso follows with an alto cadenza that folds classical arpeggiation into jazz phrasing, capturing the dual identity at the heart of the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The Epilogo<\/em> gathers these threads into a fast-paced conclusion. Grasso and R\u00fcckert share the final spotlight, the alto soaring over R\u00fcckert\u2019s propulsive drive and lush orchestral voicings. Yet the piece resists closure: instead of a tonic resolution, the music ends with openness, leaving the tension between Heimweh<\/em> and Fernweh<\/em> unresolved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
    \n
    \n
    \"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
    \n
    \"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n


    Final thoughts<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    La Dimora Dell\u2019Altrove<\/em> shows Luigi Grasso\u2019s evolution from a prodigious altoist to a composer of large-scale vision. The NDR Bigband proves an ideal partner, its soloists adding character while the ensemble as a whole delivers his complex writing with clarity and power. It is a work that connects past and present, jazz and classical, personal voice and collective sound. More than a meditation on homesickness and wanderlust, the album affirms the vitality of the big band as a form still capable of narrative depth and emotional resonance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
    \"\"\/
    <\/div><\/div><\/div>
    <\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Between Heimweh and Fernweh After the symphonic scope of Dantesca, Luigi Grasso turns to questions of identity, home, and longing in La Dimora Dell\u2019Altrove (The Abode of Elsewhere). Commissioned by the NDR Bigband, where Grasso has been a member since 2019, the suite unfolds across two themes\u2014Heimweh (homesickness) and Fernweh (wanderlust)\u2014and a series of variations that balance orchestral color with improvisational […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5343,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5341","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-new-music"],"yoast_head":"\nLuigi Grasso - La Dimora dell Altrove - The Concert Witness<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/theconcertwitness.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/29\/luigi-grasso-la-dimora-dell-altrove\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Luigi Grasso - La Dimora dell Altrove\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"La Dimora Dell\u2019Altrove shows Luigi Grasso\u2019s evolution from a prodigious altoist to a composer of large-scale vision. 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