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Born in 1956 in Milan, he studied piano and
composition (with Azio Corghi) at the city's Conservatory. He
continued compositional studies with Karlheinz Stockhausen in
Boston and Rome, and with Luciano Berio in Tanglewood. In 1990 he
founded agon Acustica Informatica Musica' in Milan, a centre of
musical production and research using new technologies. His
compositions have won numerous international awards including the
Kranichsteiner MusikPreis (Darmstadt), the Ernst von Siemens Prize
(Munich) and the Prix Italia (for Ballata del rovescio del mondo,
a radio piece to texts by Umberto Fiori; 1994).
He has taught composition as visiting professor at the
Conservatories in Rotterdam and Strasbourg, the ircam Summer
Academy in Paris, the Montreal University, the Domain Forget in
the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels and in Scandinavia.
Numerous prestigious institutions have organized concerts devoted
exclusively to his music.
His output includes over 50 pieces, ranging from works for solo
instruments to vocal and electronic pieces and orchestral
compositions. Special mention should be made of Etymo (an ircam
commission) and Sirene/Gespenster, oratorio pagano (commissioned
and co-produced by wdr, asko, sdr, vara, ircam and agon). Other
noteworthy pieces include Suite 1984, a polyphony of languages'
scored for symphony orchestra, jazz quartet and percussion
ensemble from Guinea, video-opera Striàz (1996) with
photographs produced by Studio Azzuro and orchestral Wanderer
(commissioned by the Orchestra Filarmonica della Scala, conducted
by Riccardo Muti).
In collaboration with the poet Umberto Fiori, Francesconi composed
his latest opera, after Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient
Mariner. It was commissioned by the Théâtre de la Monnaie in
Brussels. Francesconi's recent commissions have included works for
the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, the S¼ddeutscher Rundfunk (for
the Strasbourg Music Festival, 2001), the Ensemble
InterContemporain' in Paris and the New London Choir (for
Huddersfield Festival).
Luca Francesconi works regularly with internationally renowned
performers and ensembles. He is also active as a conductor and
composition teacher (Como Conservatory).
Selected works: Passacaglia for large orchestra (1982), Notte for
mezzo-soprano and 19 instruments (1983-84), Onda Sonante for eight
instruments (1985), Vertige for string orchestra (1985), Da capo
for nine instruments (1975-86), Trama for saxophone and orchestra
(1987), Aeuia for baritone and 12 instruments (1989), Piccola
trama for saxophone (or viola) and eight instruments (1989),
Memoria for orchestra (1990), Second Concerto for Oboe and Chamber
Orchestra (1991), Riti neurali for violin and eight instruments
(1991), Voci for soprano and amplified violins (1992), Islands for
piano and chamber orchestra (1992), Miniature for 16 instruments
(1992), Trama II for clarinet, orchestra and live electronics
(1993), Risonanzo d'Orfeo, suite for orchestra (1993), Etymo for
soprano, electronics and chamber orchestra (1994), Ballata del
rovescio del mondo, radio opera (1994), A fuoco for guitar and
instrumental ensemble (1995), Animus for trombone and live
electronics (1995-96), Venti Radio-Lied (1996), Memoria II for
orchestra (1998), Wanderer for large orchestra (1998-1999), Buffa
opera (1999), Cobalt, Scarlet for large orchestra (1999-2000), The
Rime of the Ancient Mariner, opera after Coleridge (2001).
Animus is a Latin word. It denotes soul' in the
sense of spirit, humour or character, but it also symbolizes the
breath of life or pulse of life. We are constantly witness to a
merciless struggle between the soul - untouchable and yet so very
much alive and present - and man's perennial striving to give it a
form, to re-create or cast it in a worldly shape. Animus is a
story of an animal (human) and a piece of metal. Initially, their
mutual relationship is strictly physiological, based on the most
fundamental form of scanning, i. e. breath. Gradually, they
discover one another. This process leads to the invention of
writing, that is to say an attempt to master what turned out to be
an instrument. Such progressive formalization becomes so
oppressive that towards the end of the piece the breath itself is
blocked. The computer recognizes these two bodies and examines, in
successive close-ups, their organic matter: flesh and metal. Then
it causes their explosion in space. Finally, it tries to reconcile
them.
Animus was realized in ircam in 1995, with the help of musical
assistant Tom Mays. It was premiered on 15 June 1995 in Paris by
the trombonist Benny Sluchin, to whom it is dedicated.
Luca Francesconi |
