THE GIFT: Music for Strings
"The Gift" is a sonic journey spanning thirty years of composition.
"๐๐๐ก ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐
๐น๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐ก๐๐๐
๐ป๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐
๐ด๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ก
๐น๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐ ๐๐ฆ"
Adriano Clemente, Seggiano, 2019
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These verses, accompany the opening track and define the spirit of the entire project: twenty compositions for strings, harp, flute, and piano, conceived over three decades and now gathered into a single, organic work. From intimate pieces like the "Eight Miniatures for Cello" to wide-ranging works such as "The Gift" - written in four movements during two weeks of continuous rain on Mount Amiata - and "Who Draws Clouds in the Sky," inspired by a traditional Tibetan chant; it is an album that gathers cherished voices: the memory of Tibetologist Elio Guarisco in "Elegy For Elio," the sweetness of "Lullaby for an Unborn Child," and the light of "Glad Day," inspired by William Blake.
performed by AKASHMANI ENSEMBLE
Adriano Clemente - harp (2, 6, 10, 14), clave (12)
Aldo Milani - flute (2, 19), clarinet (19)
Alessandro Cavalieri - cello (1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 18, 19)
Andrea Lagi - trumpet. Flugelhorn (19)
Claudio Cavalieri - violin (1, 4, 6, 12, 17, 19)
Federico Manini - trombone (19)
Felice Tazzini - piano (8, 19)
Francesco Pierotti - double bass (1, 12, 16, 17, 19)
Gaetano Schipani - oboe (2, 19)
Michele Lanzini - cello (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
Riccardo Cavalieri - viola (1, 4, 8, 12, 17, 19, 20)
TRACKLIST
01. The Gift 05:03
02. Glad Day 02:16
03. Cello Miniature I 01:28
04. December 03:24
05. Cello Miniature II 01:12
06. Chorale 04:55
07. Cello Miniature III 02:00
08. The Sacred World 04:00
09. Cello Miniature IV 01:51
10. Portrait 02:34
11. Cello Miniature V 01:24
12. Strings Melancholia 05:22
13. Cello Miniature VI 01:27
14. Lullaby For An Unborn Child 03:08
15. Cello Miniature VII 02:38
16. Elegy For Elio 02:08
17. Sunset 03:22
18. Cello Miniature VIII 01:06
19. Who Draws Clouds In The Sky 04:11
20. Snowdrop 01:25
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All compositions by Adriano Clemente
Total time: 54:54
Produced by Adriano Clemente
Recorded at Music Factory, Grosseto, by Piero Lanza,
in October and November 2025,
mixed and mastered February 2026.
Producer manager, Art Direction and Post-production Rosella Clementi
Publishing Supervisor Romano Di Bari
Artwork Chiara Gimmelli
Cover painting by Giorgio Dall’Orto “The gift”
Get your physical CD
THE GIFT: Music for Strings
The Gift: Music for Strings brings together works for strings and mixed ensembles composed over the past thirty years:
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The Gift (2019, track 1), in four movements for violin, viola, two cellos, and double bass, was written together with the above poem during two weeks of continuous rain on Mount Amiata.
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Glad Day (2004, track 2), for harp, flute, oboe, and cello, takes its inspiration from William Blake’s radiant painting.
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The Eight Cello Miniatures (2012–2016, tracks 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 18) are duets for cellos, largely shaped by modal scales. December (2012, track 4) was written on the island of Tenerife for violin, viola, and two cellos.
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Chorale (1994, track 6), for harp, violin, viola, and cello, was first performed on Isla Margarita in 2004 with sitar player Steven
Landsberg, who contributed a few ornamental passages. -
The Sacred World (2016, track 8) began as a cello miniature and later expanded to include viola and piano, becoming a tribute to Arvo Pärt.
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Portrait (2013, track 10) and Lullaby for an Unborn Child (2014, track 14) are duets for harp and cello.
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Strings Melancholia (2015, track 12) is scored for violin, viola, two cellos, and double bass.
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Elegy for Elio (2020, track 16), for two cellos and double bass, was composed in memory of Tibetologist Elio Guarisco, who passed away from COVID-19 that year.
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Sunset (1994, track 17) was originally composed for digital keyboards and later adapted for violin, viola, two cellos, and double bass. I recall playing its first version for Terry Riley at a friend’s home, and how he firmly suggested that it should be performed by a full orchestra.
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Who Draws Clouds in the Sky (2019, track 19) commemorates the passing of Dzogchen master Chögyal Namkhai Norbu (1938–2018). Based on a traditional Tibetan chant, the work expands beyond the string quintet to include piano, brass, and winds.
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Snowdrop (2020, track 20), for viola and two cellos, evokes the image of a flower emerging from frozen earth in a chestnut grove.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I wish to thank the musicians who took part in these recordings; sound engineer Piero Lanza, who did an excellent job during the
editing stage; my wife Dina; and all those who support my musical activity