Giacinto Francesco Maria Scelsi (; 8 January 1905 – 9 August 1988, sometimes cited as 8 August 1988) was an Italian composer who also wrote

surrealist Surrealism is an art movement, art and cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists aimed to allow the unconscious mind to express itself, often resulting in the depiction of illogical or dreamlike s ...

poetry in French. He is best known for having composed music based around only one pitch, altered in all manners through

microtonal Microtonality is the use in music of microtones — intervals smaller than a semitone, also called "microintervals". It may also be extended to include any music using intervals not found in the customary Western tuning of twelve equal interv ...

oscillations,

harmonic In physics, acoustics, and telecommunications, a harmonic is a sinusoidal wave with a frequency that is a positive integer multiple of the ''fundamental frequency'' of a periodic signal. The fundamental frequency is also called the ''1st har ...

allusions, and changes in

timbre In music, timbre (), also known as tone color or tone quality (from psychoacoustics), is the perceived sound of a musical note, sound or tone. Timbre distinguishes sounds according to their source, such as choir voices and musical instrument ...

and dynamics, as paradigmatically exemplified in his ''Quattro pezzi su una nota sola'' ("Four Pieces on a single note", 1959). This composition remains his most famous work and one of the few performed to significant recognition during his lifetime. His musical output, which encompassed all Western classical genres except scenic music, remained largely undiscovered even within contemporary musical circles during most of his life. Today, some of his music has gained popularity in certain

postmodern Postmodernism encompasses a variety of artistic, cultural, and philosophical movements that claim to mark a break from modernism. They have in common the conviction that it is no longer possible to rely upon previous ways of depicting the wo ...

composition circles, with pieces like his "Anahit" and his String Quartets rising to increased prominence. Scelsi collaborated with American composers including

John Cage John Milton Cage Jr. (September 5, 1912 – August 12, 1992) was an American composer and music theorist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and Extended technique, non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one ...

Morton Feldman Morton Feldman (January 12, 1926 – September 3, 1987) was an American composer. A major figure in 20th-century classical music, Feldman was a pioneer of indeterminacy in music, a development associated with the experimental New York School o ...

, and

Earle Brown Earle Brown (December 26, 1926 – July 2, 2002) was an American composer who established his own formal and notational systems. Brown was the creator of "open form," a style of musical construction that has influenced many composers since, ...

, as well as being a friend and a mentor to

Alvin Curran Alvin Curran (born December 13, 1938) is an American composer, performer, improviser, sound artist, and writer. He was born in Providence, Rhode Island, and lives and works in Rome, Italy. He is the co-founder, with Frederic Rzewski and Richard ...

. His work was a source of inspiration to

Ennio Morricone Ennio Morricone ( , ; 10 November 19286 July 2020) was an Italian composer, Orchestration, orchestrator, conductor, trumpeter, and pianist who wrote music in a wide range of styles. With more than 400 film score, scores for cinema and televisi ...

's Gruppo di Improvvisazione di Nuova Consonanza, and his music influenced composers like

Tristan Murail Tristan Murail (born 11 March 1947) is a French composer associated with the " spectral" technique of composition. Among his compositions is the large orchestral work ''Gondwana''. Early life and studies Murail was born in Le Havre, France. His f ...

and Solange Ancona.

Life

Born in the village of Pitelli near

La Spezia La Spezia (, or ; ; , in the local ) is the capital city of the province of La Spezia and is located at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the southern part of the Liguria region of Italy. La Spezia is the second-largest city in the Liguria ...

, Scelsi spent most of his time in his mother's old castle where he received education from a private tutor who taught him Latin, chess and fencing. Later, his family moved to Rome and his musical talents were encouraged by private lessons with Giacinto Sallustio. In Vienna, he studied with , a pupil of

Arnold Schoenberg Arnold Schoenberg or Schönberg (13 September 187413 July 1951) was an Austrian and American composer, music theorist, teacher and writer. He was among the first Modernism (music), modernists who transformed the practice of harmony in 20th-centu ...

. He became the first exponent of dodecaphony in Italy, although he did not continue to use this system. In the 1920s, Scelsi made friends with intellectuals like

Jean Cocteau Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau ( , ; ; 5 July 1889 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, film director, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost avant-garde artists of the 20th-c ...

and

Virginia Woolf Adeline Virginia Woolf (; ; 25 January 1882 28 March 1941) was an English writer and one of the most influential 20th-century modernist authors. She helped to pioneer the use of stream of consciousness narration as a literary device. Vir ...

, and traveled abroad extensively. He first came into contact with non-European music in

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

in 1927. His first composition was ''Chemin du coeur'' (1929). Then followed ''Rotativa'', first conducted by

Pierre Monteux Pierre Benjamin Monteux (; 4 April 18751 July 1964) was a French (later American) conductor. After violin and viola studies, and a decade as an orchestral player and occasional conductor, he began to receive regular conducting engagements in 1 ...

Salle Pleyel The Salle Pleyel (, meaning "Pleyel Hall") is a concert hall in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France, designed by the acoustician Gustave Lyon together with the architect Jacques Marcel Auburtin, who died in 1926, and the work was completed i ...

, Paris, on 20 December 1931. In 1937, he organised a series of concerts of contemporary works, introducing the music of (among others)

Paul Hindemith Paul Hindemith ( ; ; 16 November 189528 December 1963) was a German and American composer, music theorist, teacher, violist and conductor. He founded the Amar Quartet in 1921, touring extensively in Europe. As a composer, he became a major advo ...

, Schoenberg,

Igor Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ( – 6 April 1971) was a Russian composer and conductor with French citizenship (from 1934) and American citizenship (from 1945). He is widely considered one of the most important and influential 20th-century c ...

Dmitri Shostakovich Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich, group=n (9 August 1975) was a Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist who became internationally known after the premiere of his First Symphony in 1926 and thereafter was regarded as a major composer. Shostak ...

, and

Sergei Prokofiev Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev; alternative transliterations of his name include ''Sergey'' or ''Serge'', and ''Prokofief'', ''Prokofieff'', or ''Prokofyev''. , group=n ( – 5 March 1953) was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor who l ...

to an Italian audience for the first time. Due to the enforcement of racial laws under the

fascist Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural soci ...

regime of

Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 un ...

, which prevented the performance of works by Jewish composers, these concerts did not continue for long. Scelsi refused to comply, and gradually distanced himself from Italy. In 1940, when Italy entered the war, Scelsi was in

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

, where he remained until the end of the conflict, composing and honing his conception of music. He married Dorothy Kate Ramsden, a divorced Englishwoman. Back in Rome after the war, his wife left him (eventually inspiring ''Elegia per Ty''), and he underwent a profound psychological crisis that eventually led him to the discovery of Eastern spirituality, and also to a radical transformation of his view of music. In this so-called second period, he rejected the notions of composition and authorship in favour of sheer

improvisation Improvisation, often shortened to improv, is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. The origin of the word itself is in the Latin "improvisus", which literally means un-foreseen. Improvis ...

. His improvisations were recorded on tape and later transcribed by collaborators under his guidance. They were then orchestrated and filled out by his meticulous performance instructions, or adjusted from time to time in close collaboration with the performers. Scelsi came to conceive of artistic creation as a means of communicating a higher, transcendent reality to the listener. In this view, the artist is considered a mere intermediary. For this reason, Scelsi never allowed his image to be shown in connection with his music; he preferred instead to identify himself by a line under a circle, as a symbol of Eastern provenance. Some photographs of Scelsi have emerged since his death. One of the earliest interpreters Scelsi closely worked with was the singer Michiko Hirayama, whom he met in 1957 in Rome. From 1962 to 1972 he wrote the extensive song cycle ''Canti del Capricorno'' directly for her in view of her special and unique vocal range. The writing process of the piece set an example for Scelsi's very personal way of working: developing pieces through improvisation, recording, and then making a final transcription. From the late 1970s, Scelsi met several leading interpreters, such as the

Arditti String Quartet The Arditti Quartet is a string quartet founded in 1974 and led by the British violinist Irvine Arditti. The quartet is a globally recognized promoter of contemporary classical music and has a reputation for having a very wide repertoire. They ...

, the cellist

Frances-Marie Uitti Frances-Marie Uitti (born 1946) is an American cellist and composer known for her use of extended techniques and performance of contemporary classical music. Tom Service, music critic for the ''Guardian'' newspaper, has called her "arguably the wor ...

, and the pianists Yvar Mikhashoff and Marianne Schroeder, who have promoted his music all over the world and gradually opened the gates to wider audiences. Scelsi was a friend and a mentor to

(whose '' VSTO'' is a tribute) and other immigrant American composers such as

Frederic Rzewski Frederic Anthony Rzewski ( ; April 13, 1938 – June 26, 2021) was an American composer and pianist, considered to be one of the most important American composer-pianists of his time. From 1977 up to his eventual death, he lived mainly in Be ...

who were residing in Rome during the 1960s. Scelsi also collaborated with other American composers including

, and

(who visited him in Rome). Frances-Marie Uitti, dedicatee of all Scelsi's cello works, collaborated intensively with him for over 10 years editing and then recording La Trilogia, a massive 3 part work of 45 minutes in length which Morton Feldman called his "autobiography in sound". It was first premiered in Festival di Como, and recorded on Fore records (Raretone) with Scelsi in the studio and later for Etcetera Records. A more recent acclaimed version with several of the Latin Prayers is to be found on ECM under the title Natura Renovatur. Uitti also transcribed many of the chamber works for contrabass, contrabass and cello, viola, and two improvisations based on the ondiolina tapes that are found under the title Voyages. Alvin Curran recalled that: "Scelsi ... came to all my concerts in Rome even right up to the very last one I gave just a few days before he died. This was in the summer time, and he was such a nut about being outdoors. He was there in a fur coat and a fur hat. It was an outdoor concert. He waved from a distance, beautiful sparking eyes and smile that he always had, and that's the last time I saw him" (Ross, 2005). Scelsi died of a cerebral hemorrhage on 8 August 1988, in Rome.

Music

Scelsi remained largely unknown for most of his career. A series of concerts in the mid to late 1980s finally premiered many of his pieces to great acclaim, notably his orchestral masterpieces in October 1987 in

Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...

, about a quarter of a century after those works had been composed and less than a year before the composer's death. Scelsi was able to attend the premieres and personally supervised the rehearsals. The impact caused by the late discovery of Scelsi's works was described by Belgian musicologist

Harry Halbreich Harry Halbreich (Berlin, 9 February 1931 – Brussels, 27 June 2016) was a Belgian musicologist.Dust jacket biography of Harry Halbreich from #Halbreich2007, Halbreich (2007).Patrick Szersnovicz. Harry Halbreich (obituary). ''Diapason (magazine), ...

: Scelsi was also an idol of

's Gruppo di Improvvisazione di Nuova Consonanza, whose sixteen-minute track 'Omaggio a Giacinto Scelsi' features on their live album 'Musica Su Schemi', released in 1976. The music of Scelsi was heard by millions in

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November17, 1942) is an American filmmaker. One of the major figures of the New Hollywood era, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Martin Scorsese, many accolades, including an Academ ...

's '' Shutter Island'', in which excerpts of his two works ''Quattro pezzi su una nota sola'' and ''Uaxuctum'' (3rd movement) were featured alongside the music of his contemporaries György Ligeti,

Krzysztof Penderecki Krzysztof Eugeniusz Penderecki (; 23 November 1933 – 29 March 2020) was a Polish composer and conductor. His best-known works include '' Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima'', Symphony No. 3, his '' St Luke Passion'', '' Polish Requiem'', '' ...

and

. Scelsi's archives are held at the Isabella Scelsi Foundation.

Works

:''See List of compositions by Giacinto Scelsi''.

Bibliography

* ''Le Poids net et l'Ordre de ma vie'', Vevey, 1945 * ''Sommet du feu'', Rome, 1947 * ''Le Poids net'', éditions GLM (Guy Levis Mano), 1949 * ''L'Archipel Nocturne'', éditions GLM, 1954 * ''La conscience aiguë'', éditions GLM, 1962 * ''Cercles'', Éditions Le parole gelate, Rome, 1986 * ''Il Sogno 101'' (Dream 101), an autobiographical book.

Macerata Macerata () is a city and ''comune'' in central Italy, the county seat of the province of Macerata in the Marche region. It has a population of about 41,564. History The historical city centre is on a hill between the Chienti and Potenza (ri ...

: , 2010.Sardo, F.
"Giacinto Scelsi, the Count who Invented Drone Music"
, Pixarthinking, 12 August 2016. The French company

Actes Sud Actes Sud is a French publishing house based in Arles. It was founded in 1978 by author Hubert Nyssen. By 2013, the company, then headed by Nyssen's daughter, Françoise Nyssen, had an annual turnover of 60 million euros and 60 staff members. ...

published writings of Giacinto Scelsi in three volumes, the majority of which are now out of print: * ''L'homme du son'', poetry edited and with commentary by Luciano Martinis, with collaboration from Sharon Kanach. Actes Sud 2006, * ''Les anges sont ailleurs'', writings on Scelsi's life, music and art. Actes Sud, 2006. * ''Il Sogno 101'', an autobiography. Actes Sud.

Selected discography

Accord/Universal-Musidisc

*''Œuvre intégrale pour choeur et orchestre symphonique'' (1. ''Aion – Pfhat – Konx-Om-Pax'', 2. ''Quattro Pezzi – Anahit – Uaxuctum'', 3. ''Hurqualia – Hymnos – Chukrum''). Orchestre et chœur de la Radio-Télévision Polonaise de Cracovie, conducted by Jürg Wyttenbach (recorded 1988, 1989 and 1990; ref. 201692, 1992, 3 CDs: 1. ref. 200402, 1988 2. ref. 200612, 1989 3. ref. 201112, 1990; re-released by

Universal-Musidisc Musidisc is a French record label that provides music and home video distribution. It was founded in 1927, and purchased by Universal Music Group in 1999. History Musidisc is known for having produced a rare recording of Jeanne Calment, who has ...

in 2002) *''Scelsi collection, vol. 3: Aion, Hymnos, Four pieces for Orchestra, Ballata''. RAI Symphony Orchestra, (cello), conducted by Tito Ceccherini (recorded 2007). released by Stradivarius 2009 (STR33803) *''Elegia per Ty – Divertimento nº3 pour violon – L’Âme ailée – L’Âme ouverte – Coelocanth – Trio à cordes''. Zimansky, violin; Schiller, viola; Demenga, cello (ref. 200611, 1989) *''Quattro illustrazioni – Xnoybis – Cinque incantesimi – Duo pour violon et violoncelle''. Suzanne Fournier, piano; Carmen Fournier, violin; David Simpson, cello (ref. 200742, 1990) *''Suite No.8 (Bot-Ba) – Suite No.9 (Ttai)''. Werner Bärtschi, piano (ref. 200802, 1990) *''Intégrale des œuvres chorales (Sauh III & IV – TKRDG – 3 Canti populari – 3 Canti sacri – 3 Latin Prayers – Yliam)''. New London Chamber Choir, Percussive Rotterdam, conducted by James Wood (ref. 206812) *''Scelsi collection, vol. 7: Suite N. 6, Divertimento N. 1, L'Âme Ailée / L'Âme Ouverte, Xnoybis''. Marco Fusi (violinist), Anna D'Errico, piano. released by Stradivarius 2017 (STR 33807).

CPO

*''Chamber Works for Flute and Piano'' ( CPO 999340-2) played by Carin Levine, flutes; Kristi Becker, piano; Peter Veale, oboe; Edith Salmen, percussion; and Giacinto Scelsi, piano *''The Complete Works for Clarinet'' (CPO 999266-2) played by the Ensemble Avance conducted by Zsolt Nagy, with David Smeyers, clarinets; and Susanne Mohr, flute

Kairos

*''Yamaon; Anahit; I presagi; Tre Pezzi; Okanagon'' (

Kairos ''Kairos'' () is an ancient Greek language, Greek word meaning 'the right or critical moment'. In modern Greek, ''kairos'' also means 'weather' or 'time'. It is one of two words that the ancient Greeks had for 'time'; the other being (). ...

1203)

Klangforum Wien The Klangforum Wien is an Austrian chamber orchestra, based in Vienna at the Konzerthaus, which specialises in contemporary classical music. Founded by composer and conductor Beat Furrer in 1985, it is run on collective principles, having no o ...

conducted by

Hans Zender Johannes Wolfgang Zender (22 November 1936 – 22 October 2019) was a German conductor and composer. He was the chief conductor of several opera houses, and his compositions, many of them vocal music, have been performed at international festival ...

*''Streichquartett Nr. 4; Elohim; Duo; Anagamin; Maknongan; Natura renovatur'' (Kairos 1216) Klangforum Wien conducted by Hans Zender *''Action Music, Suite No 8 "bot-ba"'' (Kairos 1231) played on piano by

Mode

*''The Piano Works 1'' (

Mode Records Mode Records is an American record label in New York City that concentrates on contemporary classical music and other forms of avant-garde music. The label was founded by Brian Brandt in 1984, with a goal of releasing music composed by John Cage. ...

92) played by Louise Bessette *''The Orchestral Works 1'' (Mode Records 95) Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic & Choir conducted by , with Pauline Vaillancourt, soprano, and Douglas Ahlstedt, tenor *''Music For High Winds'' (Mode Records 102) played by Carol Robinson, clarinets, Clara Novakova, flute and piccolo, Cathy Milliken, oboe *''The Piano Works 2'' (Mode Records 143) played by Stephen Clarke *''The Piano Works 3'' (Mode Records 159) played by

Aki Takahashi is a Japanese pianist specializing in contemporary classical music. Biography Born in Kamakura, she began studying piano at the age of five and received her M.A. degree from the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. Her teachers incl ...

*''The Orchestral Works 2'' (Mode Records 176)

Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra The Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra (German: ''ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien'', or RSO Wien) is the orchestra of the Austrian national broadcaster Österreichischer Rundfunk (ORF). Unlike most other Austrian orchestras, the RSO Wien has a sub ...

*''The Works For Double Bass'' (Mode Records 188) played by Robert Black *''The Piano Works 4'' (Mode Records 227) played by Stephen Clarke *''The Works for Viola'' (Mode Records 231) played by Vincent Royer with Séverine Ballon, cello *''The Works for Violin'' (Mode Records 256) played by Weiping Lin

Other labels

*''5 string quartets, String trio, Khoom''.

; Michiko Hirayama, voice; ''et al.'' (recorded 1988; Salabert Actuels, ref. 2SCD 8904-5; re-released by Montaigne / Naïve, ref. MO 782156, 2002; 2 CDs) *''Trilogia (Triphon, Dithome, Igghur) – Ko-Tha''.

, cello (Fore 80, No.6 P Etcetera, KTC 1136 D *''Intégrale de la musique de chambre pour orchestre a cordes'' (''Natura renovatur'', ''Anagamin'', ''Ohoi'', ''Elohim'').

Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie The Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie () is a Belgian chamber orchestra based in Mons. History The Orchestra was founded in 1958 by the violinist Lola Bobesco and its leadership was entrusted successively to the concertmasters Philippe Hirsc ...

, conducted by (recorded May 1998; Forlane, ref. UCD16800, 2000) *''Canti del Capricorno''. Michiko Hirayama, voice; ''et al.'' (recorded 1969 & 1981/1982; WERGO, ref. WER 60127-50, 1988) *''Complete Works For Flute And Clarinet'' (Col Legno 200350) played by the Ebony Duo *''Trilogia'' (CTH 2480, together with Aşk Havasi by Frangis Ali-Sade) played by Jessica Kuhn, cello *''Natura renovatur'' (ECM 1963)

Münchener Kammerorchester The Munich Chamber Orchestra (, or MKO) is a German chamber orchestra based in Munich. Its primary concert venue is the Prinzregententheater, Munich. The MKO also gives concerts in Munich at such venues as the Pinakothek der Moderne and the ', an ...

conducted by

Christoph Poppen Christoph Poppen (born 9 March 1956) is a German conductor, violinist and academic teacher. Career Poppen was born in Münster. As a violinist, he was awarded first prize in the Kocian Violin Competition age 14. He studied the violin with Kur ...

on violoncello *''Trilogy: Triphon, Dithome, Ygghur'' (for cello solo) – 1957–1961/65. Arne Deforce, cello on AEON, AECD 0748, 2007.

Notes

References

External links

CompositionToday – Giacinto Scelsi Article Scelsi discography at Discogs.comListen to Scelsi's ''Four Pieces for Orchestra''
at Acousmata music blog {{DEFAULTSORT:Scelsi, Giacinto 1905 births 1988 deaths 20th-century Italian classical composers 20th-century male composers 20th-century Italian poets 20th-century Italian male musicians 20th-century Italian male writers Italian male classical composers Italian male poets Microtonal composers People from La Spezia Sub Rosa Records artists

Life

Music

Works

Bibliography

Selected discography

Accord/Universal-Musidisc

CPO

Kairos

Mode

Other labels

Notes

References

Further reading

External links