Album Review: Physics of Light by Vicente Avella

Review by Marilyn Torres

Vicente Avella has crafted a deep and sensitive musical homage to light in his latest CD Physics of Light. The compilation, which Avella recorded himself at his home, features pieces to highlight the variables found in light as interpreted from his personal view and experiences. Even so, each piece offers something to the listener that goes beyond the limits of our experiences or perceptions of light.

As I listened to the first two pieces, “Light Particles” and “Radiance,” I imagined black space and suddenly the appearance of dots of light one by one until the light fills the dark. I felt it was a reassuring start to the journey. 

“Where Light and Shadow Meet” is a more subdued and measured piece, as if one were examining the appearance of dark upon the light. In contrast, “Ultraviolet” brings us to a dance-like state with airy keys surrounding the field. Later in the lineup, “Reflection,” gave a similar dance aspect but ending with a surprise, as if the dancer i.e. the reflection, was abruptly stopped.

The minor chords and slightly off key element in “Oscuro,” infused it with an ominous dark (which is the translation for the Spanish title “oscuro”) character and a feeling of impending doom. Such a feeling is also present further down in “Umbra,” as well as another sudden but expectant ending.

A more hopeful and airy quality emerges from “Claro” as each key takes its spot to shine on its own, giving a forward movement and decisive tone to the piece. “Color Spectrum” and “Intermezzo” both have a calm and serene presence with layers of wishful thinking. 

Towards the end of the CD, “Infrared” has a more urgent feel with Avella playing fast and furious towards the climax. “Antumbra” and “Visible Light” complete the collection with respective soft flow and march-like chords indicating change and growth

Avella has beautifully merged his masterful piano skills and genuine affection for his craft with his curiosity about the properties of light and how it behaves, in a way that enriches not only our listening experience but also invites us to follow our inquisitive nature and see where the light leads.    

~Marilyn Torres for Auralscapes 

For more information please visit the artist's website. Physics of Light is also available at Amazon, Apple Music and more.

Spotlight: Rising by Vicente Avella

Vicente Avella is a Venezuelan pianist and composer who’s scored numerous independent films, as well as orchestrated and worked on music production for major network television shows. In 2013, he released his debut solo-piano album, All the Days of My Life: The Wedding Album. Vicente’s sophomore album, Rising, incorporates additional instruments and styles into the fold with its varying arrangements of piano, strings, guitar, percussion and electronics. Comprised of eleven songs spanning approximately fifty-seven minutes, the album beautifully showcases an overall compelling range of emotion, enthusiasm and passion.

“Yours” opens with gently waltzing piano chords that are played in a repeating pattern with the left-hand and accompanied by a subtle swell of strings. Soon entering the composition is a piano melody initially comprised of single notes played with the right hand, as this combined arrangement becomes increasingly fuller with the composition overall swaying gently to and fro. Subtly brightening the mood a bit is “For Always”, a comparatively more fluid piece that boasts a repetitious stream of piano chords within a melodic ensemble of strings, as starker, sparsely-placed piano notes perfectly lend bolder accents along the way. One particular highlight is the title track, “Rising”, which showcases beautifully resonating piano chords within a mostly minor-key motif. Entering periodically throughout is a stringed percussive type of rhythm that lends the composition an infectious power, as it proceeds along in a galloping fashion that overall conveys both a sense of cinematic drama and pensive thought. The ensuing “Daybreak” is an expectedly optimistic and engagingly lively piece, which boasts a more contemporary piano melody amid a dynamically colorful string arrangement.

Another notably intriguing piece is “I’m Ok”, which features a buoyant arrangement of piano and violin that’s underscored throughout by a steady, staccato drumbeat. Likewise notable is the lengthy “Looking up at the Sky”, which clocks in at nearly ten-and-a-half minutes. One of my favorites, it mesmerizingly moves along like a rushing river, eventually picking up course at about the midway point before winding down to another pause of calm towards the end. Another highlight is the aptly-titled closing piece, “Turning off the Noise”, which is perfectly understated and somewhat minimal, as drifty piano notes hover in the mid-to-higher registers amid softly suspended strings emanating from the lower range.

Sure to appeal to a variety of listeners although especially those who enjoy classical-crossover styles, Rising is an impressive fusion of neoclassical and contemporary instrumental music that's wrapped in both passion and elegance! ~Candice Michelle

For more information please visit the artist's website. This album is also available at Amazon, iTunes, CD Baby and Google Play.