Variations: Pianist Andrea Viscardi Takes the Contemporary Plunge with Debut “Deeper Lake”

Don’t judge a piece of music by its genre. It’s as simple as that. Atwood Magazine’s ‘Variations’ column discovers and discusses pieces, composers, conductors, old and new, all of which have contributed to the growth and expansion of the Classical genre. Turning grey from misrepresentation and preconceived notions, engaging with Classical music can dissolve the elitist, rule-bound confines of its historical origin and remind the mainstream of its relevance and significance.

Newcomer to the Contemporary Classical scene, Italian pianist and composer Andrea Viscardi, makes his debut with “Deeper Lake”. Released in two versions, for piano and felt piano, this pure, simple ballad captures the drowsy brilliance of a shadow and teases Visconi’s inevitable impact on the genre.

Stream: “Deeper Lake” – Andrea Viscardi

Italian pianist/composer Andrea Viscardi began playing piano at the age of six continuing to develop and refine his piano technique around the world: at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, the Royal Academy of Music in London, and the Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi in Milan. In 2014, Viscardi composed music for the documentary Cue the Muse, which won the prestigious Canadian Leo Award and received an Emmy nomination.

Viscardi believes classical tools, like acoustic and chamber instruments, can be made the foundation of a renowned approach to music and life⏤ an approach that anyone can appreciate and enjoy. So it’s no surprise that his passion has led him to the Contemporary Classical space. His debut single, “Deeper Lake” represents his foray into the new undiscovered facet in Andrea’s artistic research, which spans from classical to electronic music.

Deeper Lake - Andrea Viscardi — Deeper Lake – Andrea Viscardi

The piano is a vehicle for capturing the incredible spirit of the smallest nuance. It can simultaneously capture the weight of emotion and the agility of detail. “Deeper Lake” takes advantage of the piano’s natural voice⏤ a light, wandering melody layered atop darker chords. Visually, “Deeper Lake” comes alive through the music video directed by Gabriele Manzoni. Like the sonic experience, at face-value, it’s simple. But underneath the surface, it reinforces the deeper purpose of the piece.

Capturing fluctuations between different levels of exposure and color in movement, visual experience plays with perspective: sometimes you recognize what you’re seeing and other times you’re invited to enjoy the formlessness of the abstract. The music video flickers between slightly obstructed close ups (trees, buildings, city streets) and sun-spoty patterns of light and color. Manzoni visually depicts the same brilliant insight Viscardi communicates through sound: simplicity is just a layer of perspective, there’s always more underneath. And even if you can’t see it all, it still exists.

“Deeper Lake” is not revolutionary. It blends into the often homogenous nature of the Contemporary Classical genre as the contemplative soft piano piece it is. But Viscardi and Mazoni’s particular interpretation of mundane detail captures the essence of something as fleeting as the drowsy brilliance of a shadow. With “Deeper Lake”, Vicardi teases the magic up his sleeve⏤a humble dipping of his toe into the endless world of artistic exploration that lays ahead of him.

Listen to Andrea Viscardi’s debut single “Deeper Lake” on Spotify and watch Gabriele Manzoni’s video on YouTube.