Description
A delicate ambient work that quietly blurs the boundaries between music and photography, born as a “posthumous conversation” with Henri Cartier-Bresson.
“Le Tact” by French composer and multi-instrumentalist Joseph Schiano di Lombo is a sound piece dedicated to the legendary photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson. First performed on stage at the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation’s 20th-anniversary celebration, the work portrays the intuition and delicacy of the moment a photograph is taken through seven meditative pieces.
The titles and track names reflect Henri Cartier-Bresson’s words on “the art of creating an image,” exploring how music and photography intersect in everyday life. Joseph expresses Cartier-Bresson’s aesthetic—capturing the essence of a subject without altering it—through restrained, precise sounds.
Joseph himself plays the piano, organ, synthesizer, clarinet, and guitar, moving naturally between composition and improvisation. Agnes Wasniewska on oboe, Barbara Misiewicz on cello, and Tomasz Baye Zietek on trumpet add to the intimate yet rich sound. The album was recorded in Paris and Sopot, Poland.
The album title “Le Tact” means both “touch” and “artistic intuition.” Attention to detail, humility, and a quiet sense of beauty are woven into every note. Crossing the boundaries between ambient music, contemporary music, and contemporary art, this album invites listeners to pause and listen closely. It captures the beauty of the world through the eyes of a photographer and the sensibilities of a musician.
1. Pas de bruit
2. Être invisible
3. Ne rien « préparer », ne rien « arranger »
4. Simplement être là
5. Arriver tout doucement
6. À pas de loup
7. Afin de ne pas troubler l’eau
With Le Tact, Joseph Schiano di Lombo delivers a work of rare finesse, conceived as a posthumous conversation with photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson. Through seven meditative pieces—whose evocative titles echo the photographer's words when describing the art of creating an image—this album explores the instinctive and delicate relationship that connects music and photography to our everyday lives.
Presented for the first time on stage during the 20th anniversary of the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation, Le Tact draws its inspiration from the photographer’s art: a sensitive and respectful approach, capturing the essence of things without altering them. This spirit of discretion and precision is distilled by Joseph into his music, blending composition and improvisation with intuitive elegance. While Joseph composed and performed the piano, organ, synthesizer, clarinet, and guitar himself, he opened his arrangements for the first time to other musicians. Agnes Wasniewska (oboe), Barbara Misiewicz (cello), and Tomasz Baye Zietek (trumpet) bring their sonic textures, enriching this work, which is both intimate and collaborative. The album was recorded between Paris and Sopot (Poland) during a residency organized by the CNM.
The album’s title perfectly encapsulates its essence: Le Tact. This simple word, evoking both the sense of touch and artistic intuition, reflects the way Joseph composes—with respect, humility, and attention to detail. Each note seems to float lightly, as if to preserve the serenity of the moment. Le Tact transcends genre boundaries. Between ambient music and contemporary art, this album invites listeners to slow down and truly listen. It is a tribute to the beauty of the world, captured with the subtlety of a photographer and the sensitivity of a musician.
