London, 2025

 

Italian composer Marco Di Stefano returns with his latest project Far Inside; a concept album exploring the range of human emotions, from heroism and anxiety, to melancholy and obsessive love. The musician, who evolves in the world of film music, describes the album as a collection of cinematic pieces, which despite the absence of visuals, tells a unique story using the modern language that Di Stefano has developed over the years, balancing tradition and innovation.. 

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Unique to Di Stefano’s music is his experience as a developer and architect which allows him to focus on structure and form in a very tangible way, and coupled with his appreciation for modern technologies, electronic music and sound experimentation allows him to create music that fuses both tradition and innovation; all in the service of a strong storytelling, and for this particular project, based on human emotions. These two last intentions from Di Stefano, reflect particularly well in Far Inside — from integrating synths textures and patches so seamlessly that they are barely audible and blend with the acoustics of the orchestra, to focusing on creating a narrative which does not need visuals to express stories, and is yet incredibly bright. “The Slavery of Love” for instance, with its deceiving melodic shape, which goes towards the unexpected; with muted strings, it is impressionistic and mysterious and even reminiscent of Ravel’s finest string writing. “The Girl in the Woods”, carries similar elements, and this time leaving space for the wind instruments to bring the melodic ideas forward, whilst discreet percussions drive until climax is reached. “Angels on Our Shoulders” is extremely cinematic – obviously not a surprise given Di Stefano's career background – and carries a sense of melancholy, bringing images of departure and loss. This is where the concept of the album emerges brightly, and of course the influence of Morricone too shines. “The Last Time of Everything” brings the violin as the main soloist, conversing with the orchestra and piano, and “Get Out of My Dream” carries a sense of musical chaos; building tension through dissonance and contrasting textures. “Tarantella Noire” reminds of Morricone once more, and uses a dance form well-known to Italian music — a nod to the composer's cultural background — and resulting in a suspenseful piece which explores furthermore emotions of anxiety and doubt. Eventually, “Procession of the Just", and its eerie strings, builds tension for the climax and finale of the project.

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Far Inside is a wonderful piece of work with great musical ideas, craftsmanship and performance. Di Stefano seems to focus on two elements of the composer’s role with great focus; the first one being a strong intention to tell a story, through the medium of music only. The vivid images which come to mind are only a bright example of that success. The second being the wish for Di Stefano to be a composer who reflects his times, and allows modern technologies to blend in with tradition and history; the role of the orchestra is only complemented by innovative use of synths and electronic instruments.