Notes from the Road, Op. 60

“May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds.” – Edward Abbey

Notes from the Road was commissioned to Franco Cesarini by the music Federation of the Canton of Thurgau, Switzerland as compulsory piece for the second category of the Canton Festival in 2023. The piece is written in the typical form of an Italian overture, with the sequence of veloce-lento-veloce tempi.

Reflections on life and the street as its metaphor were the driving elements in composing this piece. The way represents a symbol characteristic to many cultures, so much so that the verb "to walk" or the word "path" indicate a way of being in life and of fulfilling oneself. "Making one's way" means affirming oneself; “Having a way” indicates one's own and personal approach. The road is the most beautiful metaphor of life: there is a departure, a destination, and in the middle lies a path that is sometimes winding, with challenges to overcome and directions to take.

An introspective piece, an invitation to each of us to reflect on our own "path".