Opening: 11 february 1997
Where: Teatro Carlo Felice – Auditorium Montale, Genova
Duration: 1h
Production: Teatro Carlo Felice di Genova

Liberovici places and sets up his play between two very different time zones: the first recalling the age of Shakespeare (indeed he extends it to Henry Purcell, a Seventeeth century composer) and the second the contemporary one. Te later is further divided between experimental music on one hand and popular music, like rock, disco, rap, on the other.
The two zones are melted together in a new hybrid, combining different sources: besides the rhythm of percussions, the string prevail, ranging from the lute to the electric guitar. Liberovici blends the Elizabethan context in his work by using the musicals instruments of the time instead of the operas. He does not draw from the wealth of musical pieces written for the theatre either. What can be perceived are references to dances of the time and probably a quotation of Purcell. On the contrary rock-and-roll rhythms are very evident: through the almost obsessive repetition of the chords, Liberovici obtains certain sound twists, remembering Jimi Hendrix.
If one considers the musical research carried out in this century, one can perceive in Sonetto some remembrances of Mahler (as in the counterpoint to her nr.43 sonnet “Whose shadow shadows doth make bright…“. But especially strong is the the reference to the Musique Concrete, through the combination on tape of noises and sounds belonging to daily life, carrying on the experiments fo Pierre Schaefer during the Forties.

From the book: Shakespeare e il rap – E.Baiardo – F.de Lucis, De Ferrari Editore
1997

“SONETTO”
A SHAKESPEAREAN DISGUISE

libretto Edoardo Sanguineti
music and direction Andrea Liberovici

with
Ottavia Fusco
Andrea Liberovici
Patrizia Schiavo
Richard Coroneo

voiceover
Vittorio Gassman

choreographic movements
Cinzia De Lorenzi

lightdesigner and audio
Pippo Ghisoli

Costumes
Clara Longobardo

recorded music
soprano Antonella Cesario
guitars Giorgio Neri
violin Giulio Plotino

youth choir RTV Slovenia
choir master Matevz Fabjian
produttore musicale Brigita Rovsek
musical producer Branko Skrajnar

voices
Ottavia Fusco, Patrizia Schiavo, Richard Coroneo, Francesca Faiella

alto, cello, computer programming
Andrea Liberovici