The Sound of Utopia

The life of composer Luigi Nono (1924–1990) is the story of a passionate advocate for a better world, an explorer of new sound possibilities, and a Venetian through and through. Shortly after 1945, he established himself, alongside Karlheinz Stockhausen and Pierre Boulez, as one of the leading figures of the post-war avant-garde in new music. What set Nono apart, who in 1955 married Arnold Schoenberg's daughter Nuria, was his political stance, which became increasingly stringent and radical during the 1960s.

His fervent commitment to communism gradually isolated him. Nono's biography thus illustrates the "European special path" in Italy and broadens the musical perspective to include a cultural-historical dimension. After several personal crises, Nono realized that both politically and artistically, he was at a dead end. Around 1980, he reinvented himself, and his music fundamentally changed.

In the experimental studio of the Heinrich-Strobel Foundation at the former SWF in Freiburg, live-electronic works were created, which with their aesthetics of intimacy have had a great influence on composers to this day. Among the works from his last decade is Prometeo, also known as "the tragedy of listening," where the polyphony of Venice's St. Mark’s Basilica unfolds in unforeseen ways.

Program

13:00–13:15: Luigi Nono: Der Klang der Utopie (excerpt from a film by Thomas von Steinaecke)

13:15–14:00: Bjørnar Habbestad: Performing as a component of composing. Analyzing Nono’s collaborative practice

14:00–14:15: Break

14:15–14:35: Cikada Trio performs two student works inspired by Luigi Nono: James Layton: weav and Ida Grande Kaurin: Sitting at the Bottom of the Ocean

14:35–15:00: James Layton and Ida Kaurin discuss inspiration from Luigi Nono and their works

15:00–15:15: Break

15:15–16:00: Silje Aker Johnsen: Luigi Nono: La Fabbrica Illuminata and Io, Frammento da Prometeo – from a soprano's perspective

Contributors

• Bjørnar Habbestad: performer, creator, curator, and researcher in contemporary music

• Cikada Trio: Kenneth Karlsson (piano), Anne Karine Hauge (flutes), and Rolf Borch (clarinets)

• Silje Aker Johnsen: singer and dancer with a strong focus on contemporary music, as well as baroque and classical coloratura repertoire

• James Layton: master's student in composition

• Ida Grande Kaurin: bachelor's student in composition

  
  

The seminar is led by Professor Henrik Hellstenius.