That the music of composers Gabriel Field and Sharad Goulam should be the subject of a joint album was a given. This is not surprising: long-time friends, trained in Paris under the same Masters (Stéphane Delplace and Anthony Girard), and having shared the stage in concert, it is a mutual respect and a shared vision of new music that unite these two composers, who decided to dedicate their first album to solo piano. Their languages, rooted in tonality and modality, marked by harmonic subtlety and the search for expressive dissonance, draw their emotional roots from the secret pains of the soul, imparting universality and humanity to their musical worlds.

Beyond these similarities, their musical and inner journeys remain distinct, highlighting multiple facets unique to each of them. The album’s program will showcase Goulam’s fiery virtuosity and passionate thematic drive in the Toccata furiosa, which is met by the unstoppable harmonic surge of Prelude V. The meditative interiority and painfully contrapuntal nature of the Marche resonate within the dark atmosphere of the Deux Nocturnes, although some sonorities echo the mysteriously folkloric and dreamy harmonic fragrance of the Arabesque. In Field’s work, the gentle intimacy of the Quatre Berceuses and the tender clarity of the Péché d’époque remain opposed to the despair and austerity of his dark and ironic Trois Pièces Joyeuses, marked by profound sadness. Furthermore, his Huits Chorals (extracted from a vast collection of two books of twenty-four chorals each) employ sophisticated counterpoint to serve a multitude of emotional nuances provided by rich and colorful harmony.

Between similarities and differences, it is only natural that the twin pianist sisters Chiara and Fiona Alaimo, both brilliant musicians trained in Brussels and Paris, who are already at the forefront of the international scene both as soloists and duetists, were captivated by this project dedicated to their instrument: the piano. Free to choose the pieces they perform, they bring their own artistic sensibilities to the music, showcasing both their commonalities and their differences, much like the two composers.

Two composers, two pianists, between similarities and differences, this is a unique and singular project in today’s musical landscape: with this album, a musical journey is offered to the public through the inner worlds of Gabriel Field and Sharad Goulam, in Echo(s), by the Alaimo sisters, to be released by Klarthe Label in the autumn of 2025.

Support Project “Echo(s)” : Project Echo(s)

Learn more about Sharad Goulam : sharadgoulam.com

Learn more about Fiona and Chiara Alaimo : fionachiaraalaimo.com