Hania Rani // On Giacometti CD

A CD released in May 2023 by Hania Rani, a neo-classical artist from Warsaw, Poland.

Includes 13 neo-classical songs produced in a mountain hut in Switzerland in the middle of winter for the documentary film of Alberto Giacometti.Comes with a photo booklet.

Below is a commentary by the author himself.

"When I was asked to compose the soundtrack for a film about the Giacometti family, I had no hesitation.
Alberto Giacometti is a Swiss artist, primarily a painter and sculptor, who has long been one of my favorite artists.His unique style, aesthetics and creative process still fascinate me in many ways.So it was an unmissable opportunity for me to go even deeper into his world and get to know him as well as his family.

I could never have imagined how far this "Jesus" would take me, not only on a mental and creative level, but also physically.Thanks to Susanna Fantun, the director of the documentary, and thanks to some good luck and some additional questions, I spend a few months exploring the place where Giacometti was born and called home even though he didn't live there. I decided to move to the mountains of Switzerland, not far fromSusanna told me about a place near her hometown where I could rent her studio and use it for other projects, not just soundtracks.It was midwinter that day, and the area was covered with ice and snow.The residence house is located in a valley surrounded by high mountains, and the sun didn't come up very long during the day in winter.I remember her telling me about it and adding, "Not everyone is sick over there, but I want you to be."I did so.

Almost detached from reality, away from everything that normally draws my attention, the city, the entertainment, the people in a hurry, I am able to concentrate completely on the music and the soundtrack, spending most of my day with my thoughts. I had enough space to spend time, experiment and be free in the creative process.This soundtrack would probably be very different had it been written where I live.I took this opportunity to go in the opposite direction, to explore something new, both as a composer and as a human being.

The album "About Giacometti" contains excerpts of representative songs and songs in which the voice itself has become stronger from the soundtrack.Based on improvisational melodies, simple harmonies, structures and stillness, the work is reminiscent of her debut album Esja, written and recorded in the cold of Iceland.Mentally and physically, these elements led me to my primary instrument, the piano, and I sought to redefine it with the language of the space I was working in.Space is usually the key element that gives me answers about the layout and character of a project.Space seems to come first, and music is the invisible force that transforms the angels.

As Alberto Giacometti wrote in a letter, living surrounded by mountains changes your perspective and your understanding of scale.
Things that are far away, like mountains, feel closer, and things that aren't far away, like people, seem smaller from afar.
Touching the top of a mountain with your fingers feels like touching the tip of your nose.
The snow protects the whole from noise, and each sound lands softly on the ground, accompanied by immeasurable spatial resonance.Each scratch and whisper becomes an autonomous entity, opening the door to a world of ghosts and lost children.At first glance, it is easy to think that nothing is moving, that nothing has changed, that time has stopped.

However, ice and snow reveal the passage of time, and the frozen waterways morph into raging streams of water day by day, hour by hour, second by second.It melts and disappears, white powder and noise covering the surface, clearing the space.It's invisible to overnight travelers, but it's a painfully real process for those staying longer.

Time flows with new waves of sound flowing down the river, reminding us that we are part of an endlessly repeating cycle.

I left this valley with the first breath of spring. "

Labels and other worksplease use this form. ///Click here to see more Gondwana Records releases available at Tobira.

---------------------------------

Includes photo booklet by Anja Karolina Furer and artist commentary from Hania.

Gondwana Records:

"Hania Rani announces "On Giacometti" a tender meditation on the life and art of Alberto Giacometti and family.

"On Giacometti" is a collection of beautiful recordings inspired by the renowned artist and family and features some of Rani's most profoundly delicate compositions to date. Invited by film director Susanna Fanzun, to score her forthcoming documentary on the legendary artist Alberto Giacometti, Hania Rani took herself to the Swiss mountains to compose in blissful isolation. As Rani explains eloquently below the compositions are based on improvised melodies, simple harmonies and structures and inspired by the silence of the mountains as Rani returns to her main instrument, the piano. are beguilingly reminiscent of her beloved debut album Esja, but with subtle extra layers of synthesiser, and on two tracks cello from friend and long-running collaborator Dobrawa Czocher.

'On Giacometti' is presented as a limited edition LP with bespoke packaging featuring Les Naturals - Chocolat (Gmund) sustainable recycled paperboard made from 100 % recovered paper with Foil Artwork by Łukasz Pałczyński. Plus Double sided printed insert and download code inside. "

++

Artist statement by Hania Rani "On Giacometti"

"When I was asked to compose a soundtrack for a movie about the family of Giacometti I didn't think twice.
Alberto Giacometti, a Swiss artist, who worked mainly as painter and sculptor has been one of my favorite artists for a long time. His individual style, aesthetics and the character of his creative process is still fascinating to me on many levels, so being able to dive even deeper into his universe, getting to know not only him but also his family was an opportunity that I couldn't miss.

Little did I know how far this "yes" will take me - not only mentally and on a creative level but also physically. Thanks to the director of the documentary - Susanna Fanzun and by a stroke of luck and a couple of extra questions I decided to move for a couple of months to the Swiss mountains, not far away from the place where Giacometti was born and where the place he called home was, although he didn't live there. Susanna showed me a place close to her hometown where I could rent a studio and work on the soundtrack but also for my other projects. It was the middle of a winter, the area was full of ice and snow, just like only it can happen still in the mountains. a valley surrounded by high mountains and the sun in the winter season was not coming up for too long during the day. I remember she told me about it and added "that not everyone is feeling well there, but I hope you will". did.

Being almost separated from reality, the city and its entertainments, people rushing and everything that usually takes my attention I could fully concentrate on the music and soundtrack, spending most of the day with my own thoughts and having enough space to experiment and be free in a creative process.

The album "On Giacometti" includes the excerpts from the soundtrack, the most representative tracks and those which became a strong voice itself. Based on a lot on improvised melodies, simple harmonies, structures and silence it reminds me of my debut album "Esja" which was partly composed and recorded in another chilly place - Iceland. All these components, both mental and physical, guided me back to my main instrument - piano, which I tried to redefine again with a language of the space that I was working in. The space is usually the key element that gives me the answer about the arrangement or character of the project. Space seems to be the first to appear and music is the invisible power which is changing its angels.

Living surrounded by mountains makes you change the perspective and understanding of scale as Alberto Giacometti once famously wrote in a letter.
It gives an impression that things that are actually far away, like mountains, are close and the other ones that are not so far away, like people, seem small, watched from a distance.
You feel like touching the mountain top with your finger could be as easy as touching the tip of your nose.
The snow additionally protects the whole area from the noise, each sound lands softly on the ground accompanied by echoes of immeasurable space. Each scratch or whisper is becoming an autonomic entity, opening the gate to the world of ghosts and lost spirits. think that time stands still there, while nothing is moving and changing at the first sight.

But the ubiquitous ice and snow reveal the passage of time, transforming frozen paysage into the wild stream of water - each day, hour and second. Melting and vanishing, clearing the space from white powder and noise consuming surface. Invisible process for a one night traveler, becomes painfully real for longer time settlers.

Time flows with each new wave of sound coming through the river, reminding us that we are part of the cycle, which endlessly repeats itself.

I left the valley with the first breath of the spring."

Artist : Hania Rani

Label: Gondwana Records