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Was born in La Spezia (Italy); he died in Rome. He was
mainly
a self-taught composer, but received some instruction form Giacinto
Sallustio in Rome, Egon Köhler in Geneva and Walter Klein, who introduced
him in 1936 to the music and theory of the Second Viennese School. Shortly
thereafter Scelsi made extended visits to Asia and became interested in
Eastern philosophy and religion, which affected his compositional approach.
His artistic ideas and compositional procedures thwarted Western concepts
of composition, improvisation, interpretation, and performance. He did not
consider himself a composer but rather a medium or vessel who
transcendentally receives musical messages while meditating and
improvising at the piano or on the guitar and percussion instruments. Such
Ointuitive1 or Oreal time1 compositions were taped and transcribed and
edited by others since the 1940s. The resulting scores, however, did not
allow for flexibility or improvisation. For Scelsi sound was cosmic energy
and three-dimensional, the two of which register and duration are
most obvious. The third dimension, Odepth1, is difficult to describe and
remains Osomething1 beyond duration and register. Searching for the Othird
dimension1 or Odepth1 of sound, Scelsi attempted to expand the tonal realm
and focused more and more on one or two single pitches. These were treated
like focal points and were reiterated or embroidered while subjected to
very subtle modifications in intensity, timbre, dynamics and pitch. This
approach, however, led Scelsi to embrace microtonality and write music
primarily for winds, strings and voice (from the mid-1950s). Such works as
Tre pezzi for trombone (1956), Quattro pezzi su una nota sola for chamber
orchestra (1959) or his last three String Quartets (196385) are based on
single notes and their iridiscent microtonal nuances. Herewith Scelsi
incidentally anticipated compositional techniques developed further by La
Monte Young and Phill Niblock.
For a long time Scelsi was ignored in the world of new music as an
eccentric and outsider. It was only in the mid-1980s that he gained
considerable recognition. Hence he is often called the Charles Ives of
Italy. He was also a poet; his three collections of poetry were published
in French in Paris in 1949, 1954 and 1962. He possessed the title of Conte
Scelsi di Ayala Valva.
[extracted from the note by Sabine Feisst]
Selected works: five string quartets (1944, 1961, 1963,
1964, 1984), Suite no 8 (Bot-ba) for piano (1952), Suite no 9 (Ttai) for
piano (1953), Suite no 10 (Ka) for piano (1954), Pwyll for flute (1954),
Quattro Pezzi su una nota sola for chamber orchestra (1959), Wo-Ma for
bass solo (1960), Hurqualia for percussion and orchestra (1960), Aiôn
Quadre épisodes d1une journeé de Brahma for orchestra (1961), Khoom for
soprano and seven instruments (1962), Canti del Capricorno for female
voice and voice with instrument(s) (196272), Hymnos for organ and two
orchestras (1963), Anagamin for strings (1965), Anahit for violin and
18 instruments (1965), Ohoi for strings (1966), Uaxutum. La légende de la
cité de Maya for percussion, choir, Martenot1s waves and 23 musicians
(1966), Ko-Tha. Trois Danses de Shiva for guitar treated as a percussion
instrument (1967), Konx-om-pax for mixed choir and 75 musicians (1968),
Okanagon for harp, tam-tam and double bass (1968), tkrdg for six male
voices, amplified guitar and three percussionists (1968), Pranam I for
contralto, 12 instruments and tape (1972), Sauh I et II (Liturgy) for two
female voices unisono or one voice and tape (1973), Sauh I et II
(Liturgie) for two female voices and tape (1973), Pfhat for choir, organ
and 54 musicians (1974), Aitsi for amplified piano (1974), Voyages for
cello (1974), In nomine lucis for organ (1974), Dharana for cello and
double bass(1975), Kshara for two double basses (1975), Maknongan for bass
instrument or bass voice (1976).
Pwyll is a druid1s name. Music speaks naturally for itself. Pwyll suggests
maybe also an image of a priest, calling an angel at sunset.
Giacinto Scelsi
Quays is a musical pendant to Pwyll. It can be
performed either on the flute or alto flute. The piece was composed in
1953 and was later dedicated to Carin Levine.
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