Composer Notes

Per poter sognare, devi avere gli occhi aperti, takes inspiration from Pier Paolo Pasolini and is based around his poem, Esistenza. The idea of the piece developed last year , visiting an exposition which celebrated Pasolini s years since his birth. Pier Paolo Pasolini was an Italian poet, filmmaker, writer, and intellectual, considered one of the defining symbols of the 20th century in Italy, influential both as a political figure and as an artist. In the poem Pasolini enhance his spiritual connection with the aesthetics of the places he encounters. He believes in how the smaller and humbler things are, the more they are beautiful a nd great in their misery. The composition tries to amplify this concept and extend it to its limit. The poem helped me develop a strong structure, each stanza of the poem represented a different spatial and geographic place. I wanted to create a musical j ourney, where the composition was both reflecting the theme s and rhythm of the stanza. The ponderous silences between the stanzas are utilized as a kind of mould into which I pour my musical material. Hence, when Pasolini talks about a vital link and the endless waiting, the composition is more dense , and plentiful are the relationship created between the instruments. When he later speaks about birth as well as the endless sleep, the soundscape become lighter, the relationships are fewer. One instrument is often picking up what the other left incomplete The third section is similar to the first one and speeds up within the intensity of the poem where Pasolini enter his more political nature, critically commenting on his society. The ending returns to a faded soundscape , where Pasolini speaks about leaving and what he will bring with him. The whole composition aims to create these different accompanying sonic worlds , almost like a composition for a motio n picture, the music follows the protagonist, the speaker, throughout his journey within the different spatial and geographical places . Connection within the instruments is achieved by the ‘six degrees of separation theory. This hypothesis explains how anyone on earth can be connected to any other person to the planet in the globe through a chain of acquaintance with no more than five intermediaries. I wanted to reflect this connection within the six instruments The instruments are often paired up in couples and positioned in parallel as performing. Chains of links are created both harmonically, melodically and texturally within the couples. For example, the warmer lower register timbre of the A clarinet tries to resemble to tone of the viola. A span of awareness also needs to be achieved with all the instruments. Often cues are so that pairs of instruments follow each other, the ending pattern of an instrument triggers the beginning of the next one. Inspiration for this piece was taken by composer s such as M. Finnissy, H. Birtwistle, H. Abrahamsen, D. Fennessy and S. Sciarrino. The music follows Pasolini like a man who observes the fate of the poor and marginalized with poetic hypersensitivity , not aware about his own words accompanying him to the end. Each instrument works as a microcosm of a larger sonic and geographic community.

For flute, clarinet in A, trumpet in C, violin, viola, violoncello and speaker

Written for CHROMA ensemble

Techniques

- Box notations are to be repeated ad libitum until Conductor signals. All patterns are accordingly three bars long (ca. 20 sec.). Depending on the box notation text please get faster/louder or slower/quieter before n.p. (next pattern)

- The speaker must have a microphone. He has the freedom to use the more appropriate tempo and tone from the text, reciting is encouraged for more dramatic outcome. Start and finish within the stanzas

For the flute

- Breath in, cover embouchure with the mouth When written in the middle of the staff indicates air/breath sounds, no pitch.

- Breath out, cover embouchure with the mouth. When written in the middle of the staff indicates air/breath sounds, no pitch.

- Flutter-tonguing into the instrument, cover embouchure with the mouth, will sound a major 7th lower.

For the A clarinet

- Key clicks to be played on any keys

- Timbral trills might be produced by trilling to a note a quarter tone or less below the given tone. The pitch notated is for suggested fingering.

For the C trumpet

- Con sord.; use preferred mute. Con wah-wah mute; tremolando with hand ad libitum, start tremolo before playing.

Esistenza di Pier Paolo Pasolini

[A]

Ritrovarmi in questo ovale con un legame vitale in solitudine a volteggiare con l 'infinito aspettare di qualcosa.

[B]

Sognare di poter camminare in un nuoto perpetuo di pensieri intravedendo una luce bianca.

[C]

La fine di tutto. Uno schiocco Un pianto. La nascita della vita in braccio a giganti biancheggianti.

[D]

Crescendo vidi cose senza senso cosciente del perduto collettivo senno. Vidi uomini con biancheggianti vestiti baciare e non procreare di fronte a un freddo altare in nome di una croce e un continuo narrare.

[E]

Esseri travestiti professare falsi miti e scuole dove si imparava a vivere lasciando l'intelligenza reprimere.

[F]

Sicuri di un tranquillo lavoro si sedevano su un falso trono lasciando che un finto quadrato rubassero loro gli anni d'oro. Ed ora piano piano mi invecchio sperando ancora in un qualche cambiamento.

I find myself in this oval with a life link in solitude to twirl with endless waiting for something.

Dream to be able to walk in a perpetual swim of thoughts glimpsing a white light.

The end of everything.

A snap

A cry.

The birth of life in the arms of whitish giants.

Growing up I saw meaningless things aware of the collective loss of sanity. I saw men in whitish clothes kiss and not procreating in front of a cold altar in the name of a cross and a continuous tell.

Beings in disguise profess false myths and schools where one learned to live letting the intelligence repress.

Sure of a quiet job they sat on a false throne leaving a fake square steal their golden years. And now I'm slowly getting older still hoping for some change.

[G]

Disteso in un biancheggiante letto rimango cosciente che della vita e delle esperienze connesse ad essa non mi interessa più niente. Tutto improvvisamente si illumina di bianco e mi appresto al grande salto.

[H]

Ma con me non posso portare nient'altro che un tatuaggio situato dentro al cuore con impresso dentro il nome di quella persona che in questa vita mi diede tanto amore.

Spacial Setup

Stretched out on a whitish bed I remain aware that of life and its related experiences I don't care anymore. Everything suddenly lights up white and I'm about to take the big leap.

But I can't take anything else with me that a tattoo located inside my heart with the name stamped inside of the person who in this life gave me so much love.

This set up could be changed if the acoustic of the space demands it.

Score in C

Duration: ca. 9