With a long dedication to cinema music writing, Bernardo Sassetti is also firming his name as a stage composer. “Dúvida (1964)” was conceived for a play by John Patrick Shanley (“Doubt”, awarded with the Pulitzer Prize for Drama) performed in Lisbon by some of the top Portuguese actors, Eunice Muñoz, Diogo Infante, Isabel Abreu and Lucília Raimundo, with Ana Luísa Guimarães directing. Inspired, very specially, in a phrase by the American author (“there’s something silent under every person”), this is a suite made of chiaroscuro situations and cloudy soundscapes, the piano choosing minimalist strategies of development – reiterated cycles with few notes, simple but extraordinarily effective, with the opportune punctuations of the percussionist José Salgueiro. The 37th piece orchestra Sinfonietta de Lisboa, conducted by Vasco Pearce de Azevedo, gives density to the parallel “mise en scéne” we find here, but only to amplify the effects of the many pauses and respirations of this music – silence is the main instrument, nostalgic but acting as a release from tension. After all, the play intends to be funny and entertaining, even if dealing with complex and serious human matters. This is also the most classical work by the jazz pianist who is crossing style boundaries with good taste and an astounding sense of measure, and the definitive confirmation of a personal, refined, and essential voice in programmatic composition, besides being one of the most important Portuguese improvisers. You should check this.

Listen to Bernardo Sassetti-Dúvida (1964)

Composition, arrangement and orchestration Bernardo Sassetti (2007)

Original Soundtrack

Recorded at the Maria Matos Theatre on February 25, 2007 and at the Namoche Studio on March 6, 2007

Music production Bernardo Sassetti | Orchestra Recording João Paulo Nogueira assisted by Diogo Tavares | Recording of piano, vibraphone and percussion Pedro Rego | Edition Pedro Rego (Dizplay Soundlab) and Luís Delgado (Sonic State Studio) | Mixing and mastering Pedro Rego (Dizplay Soundlab) | Piano Petrof Concert Grand prepared by Fernando Gomes

Orquestra Sinfonieta de Lisboa: Conductor Vasco Pearce de Azevedo | Production José Cedoura

Photography Bernardo Sassetti | Design Rui Garrido