Dove: Piccolo Regio Giacomo Puccini, Turin
Prima: 16 September 2009
Durata: 30 min.
Produzione: FESTIVAL MITO Settembre Musica

Based on texts by Emilio Jona, freely adapted from Levi, the work explores the possibility of a dialogue with the world of shadows. Liberovici, who works extensively in multimedia writes: ”I wanted to place the audience in a state of heightened attention. One is following elusive thoughts while inside the music”.

The text, projected on tulle backgrounds, as if springing out of the music, is structured in nine chapters/poems. Each one of the first eight originates from key words taken from a specific work of Primo Levi. The ninth text is an autonomous poem dedicated to Levi.

On stage the work proceeds along parallel performing planes in which texts, sound, music and “shadow theater” unfold. The music performed by the nine-piece ensemble is inspired both rhythmically and melodically by the “cantillare” practice, a form of reciting/singing the bible that precedes psalmody. There is also an “electronic music” aspect, drawing from the French musique concrete tradition, an assemblage of raw sonic material. Lastly, behind the orchestra, Controluce Teatro D’Ombre will create “visual allusions” through Shadow Theater.

The Transparency of the Word
cantata for Primo Levi
text by Emilio Jona
music and video Andrea Liberovici

Le Nouvel Ensemble Moderne
directed by Lorraine Vaillancourt

Controluce Teatro d’Ombre (shadow theatre) on video
Gino Tanasini recorded children’s choir master