Essential Sciarrino+. Music of Extreme Complexity at DOX+

Publikováno: 26.9.2024

Ostrava in Prague again! After a year, the Ostrava Center for New Music returns to the multifunction hall DOX+ with a concert from the “Essential” series, featuring a selection of extraordinary compositions from the Ostrava Days festival. This time, the spotlight is on the “Acoustic theatre of nocturnal sounds” – music of the controversial Italian star of the contemporary scene Salvatore Sciarrino and of the Italian avant-gardist Luigi Nono, whose centennial of birth we are celebrating this year. Their music will be performed on November 21st by Ostravská banda aided by the members of ONO – Ostrava New Orchestra and German baritone Otto Katzameier, Polish soprano Anna Radziejewska and Czech-Swiss violinist Hana Kotková. All three soloists have collaborated closely with Sciarrino in the past. OCNH art director Petr Kotík will conduct the orchestra. Quartetto Prometeo from Milan will come to Prague to perform Nono’s exceptional string quartet piece Fragmente – Stille, an Diotima.

Ostravská banda & members of ONO – Ostrava New Orchestra
Quartetto Prometeo
Hana Kotková, violin
Anna Radziejewska, mezzosoprano
Otto Katzameier, baritone
Petr Kotík, conductor 

Salvatore Sciarrino       Quaderno di strada (2003)
Salvatore Sciarrino       Allegoria della notte (1985)
Salvatore Sciarrino       Efebo con radio (1981)
– intermission –
Salvatore Sciarrino       Il silenzio degli oracoli (1989)
Luigi Nono                    Fragmente – Stille, an Diotima (1979–80)

Salvatore Sciarrino (1947) started composing as an autodidact when he was only twelve years old. It was very early on that he discovered his highly original music language based on a rich gamut of instrumental sounds, extreme dynamic changes, very soft sounds which are often located on the very border of silence with typical repetition of several simple characteristic elements. Sciarrino has belonged to the greatest personalities of contemporary classical music for many years. The abundance of commissions from prestigious festivals, symphonic orchestras and opera houses only testify to his popularity. Although Sciarrino’s oeuvre contains more than two hundred compositions for a variety of ensembles, his music still retains its originality and timelessness. In his approach to voice, Sciarrino focuses on subtle, soft and unusual techniques which sonically approximate whispering or breathing, while making use of instrumental techniques that resemble rustling of wind, bird song, mysterious murmur or heartbeat. His sonic world is indeed an acoustic theatre of nocturnal sounds.

Sciarrino has a firm place in the programs of OCNH – four operas have already been staged at the NODO opera festivals in cooperation with opera scenes from abroad and twelve of his major compositions have been performed at Ostrava Days so far. However, the four compositions to be heard at the concert in DOX+ – with the exception of one – have not been performed in Ostrava yet. In concerto for violin and orchestra Allegoria della notte (1985), violinist Hana Kotková will be in the spotlight again. For the first time in Prague, we will have the opportunity to hear baritone Otto Katzameier in connection with Sciarrino.  As for soprano Anna Radziejewska, we have already collaborated with her on more occasions. Both belong to “Sciarrinian” performers who are bound by a close creative bond with the composer and whom the composer also dedicated many of his works. One of such pieces is Quaderno di strada (2003), which was written for Katzameier and even dedicated to him. The orchestra of soloists – international ensemble Ostravská banda, this time reinforced by the members of ONO – Ostrava New Orchestra, has been performing Sciarrino’s works for years and conductor of the concert Petr Kotík has been in contact with them for an equally long time.

The double concert will be concluded by a radically subjective and uncompromising work of deeply visceral, fragile, almost esoteric qualities: string quartet Fragmente – Stille, an Diotima (1979–80) of Venetian Luigi Nono (1924-1990), the colossus of 20th century avant-garde music and one of the main representatives of the post-war avant-garde music scene. In his own words, as a member of the Italian Communist party, he did not see the difference in writing a score or helping to organize a strike. Based on his opinion, composers should take active interest in the world affairs, have wide knowledge of history and be acquainted with the latest developments in science, technology or art – only then can their music contribute to changes in society and take part in steering its direction. String quartet Fragmente – Stille, an Diotima poses extreme technical demands on the performers and Quartetto Prometeo from Milano plays it superbly!

Ticket prices: 450 CZK / 250 CZK (students, seniors). Tickets are available on the GoOut platform.

The concert is produced by the Ostrava Center for New Music in cooperation with DOX Centre for Contemporary Art. We thank the Ministry of Culture, the Municipality of Prague, Statutory City of Ostrava, Arts and Theatre Institute, Perform Czech and National Recovery Plan, Moravian-Silesian Region, Veronika and Libor Winklerovi, Martin and Hana Vohánkovi for financial support, the State Cultural Fund and Italian Cultural Institute.

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