Portraits of Florence
Reviewed By Janet Mawdesley February 25, 2025
Artist – Robert Killen
Distributor: Bandcamp
Released: December 2024
Running Time: 39 mins 30 secs
Website: https://robertkillen.bandcamp.com/album/portraits-of-florence
Facebook: https://www.robertkillen.com/portraits
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In 2024 Pianist Robert Killen was inspired to release an album of solo piano works in tribute to Florence, Italy, a city that simply is living history, a city that in his first year of residence made a powerful impact.
Italy has a certain ambience that pervades the streets, the very air, the architecture with a timeless sense of culture, tragedy and vitality which he has captured over the ten tracks which make up Portraits of Florence.
A man who felt compelled to create beauty, Robert Killen has chosen the far reaching field of music to create songs that resonate beginning with the delightfully whimsical They Wake at Dawn a tribute to the Loggia dei Lanzi, aka Loggia della Signoria, constructed 1376-1382; a gathering place and residence that has seen the many marches of history pass through its portals.
Crossings capture the very essence of life in Florence. The calm, stillness of early morning when the hustle of society has not yet occurred to disturb the beauty of the Ponte de Vecchio. The gentle increase in activity before the upbeat mood prevalent comes into play and the daylight passes into night.
This is the gateway to heaven “haec est porta coeli” is the inscription carved into the entrance to the beautiful San Miniato al Monte, est. 1018, a place of great culture and reverence, still holding within its walls the chanting of the monks of old, the hope eternal and prayers of all who have worshiped there. This is a very reflective song which in its clarity and presentation captures the many moods still noticeable today.
In a Last Dance, lovers gently waltz through the tears and sadness of goodbye to a city, a time of romance, a love fleeting but deeply felt in this light, dainty and delicate song, a fitting tribute to a city founded in 59 BC and still welcoming all who wish to discover the magic captured within the City that is Florence.
Portraits of Florence is a delightfully light, enjoyable and wonderfully captivating album, each song accompanied by a YouTube clip that takes you into the moment, the magic the ambience, that truly is Italy.