Etymo, Da Capo, A fuoco, Animus [SACD]

Luca Francesconi (born 1956) is one of the most prominent Italian composers at the moment, and he's increasingly available on disc, although curiously most recent coverage focuses on his works from the 1980s and 1990s instead of his continuing productivity. This Kairos disc is no exception, featuring four pieces from that era. Susanna Mälkki leads the Ensemble Intercontemporain and the soloists are Barbara Hannigan (soprano), Benny Sluchin (trombone) and Pablo Márquez (guitar).

When I first heard "Dacapo" for 9 instruments (1985-86), it sounded awfully familiar. Francesconi was Luciano Berio's assistant around the time he wrote this piece, and here he seems to be challenging the master's "Linea". I certainly won't complain, as I love this kind of ceaselessly busy, highly sonorous music (Pierre Boulez's "Sur Incises" too shares these very traits).

More influence from Berio is obvious in "Etymo" for soprano, ensemble and electronics (1994). Here the vocal part is poetry by Charles Baudelaire, treated for most of the piece as pure phonetic material, and only coalescing into intelligibility later on; here I'm inclined to draw comparisons to Berio's works for his muse, the soprano Cathy Berberian, and his experiments with the meaning of texts.

"A fuoco" for guitar and ensemble (1995) continues with the scurrying textures of the preceding two pieces, but the solo part is a hommage to the flamenco tradition.

"Animus" for trombone and electronics (1995) recalls another Italian composer, namely Luigi Nono who produced some harsh, highly spatial music for winds and electronics a decade before. Francesconi's piece may be better experience live, however, where the dichotomy between the trombone and the electronic transformation is more easily perceived.

Francesconi's music is competently written and, in the main, they are very pleasant indeed, but it's hard for me to get excited about them when I feel that I still have years to spend with the output of Berio and Nono before I've plumbed their depths. However, if you've exhausted your mid-century Italian modernist collection and want more, Francesconi seems like the ideal next step.

These recordings were made at IRCAM and the sound is excellent. Kairos' booklet is, as always, made with care. The liner notes include an essay by Colin Roche, and one by Robert Coheur on Francesconi's career and stylistic concerns in general. There are some examples from the scores.

Luca Francesconi (born, as I was, in 1956) is one of the most prominent Italian composers active today, though little-known in the U.S. This is a superb disc from Kairos (69'15 in total length) presenting four of his compositions performed by the Ensemble Intercontemporain, featuring IRCAM's electronics on two of the four. Francesconi was Luciano Berio's assistant from 1981-1985, and his music is resolutely modern, with no concessions to the prevailing Debussian trend among contemporary composers in search of an audience. But I think many adventurous listeners will find his music to be quite engaging.

Etymo (1994 -- 25'23)
For soprano, electronics and ensemble
The stunning "Etymo" features Barbara Hannigan's soprano voice and an ensemble of 16, including a piano and a digital piano, with electronics. Hannigan sings verses from Baudelaire's "Flowers of Evil," featuring the question "What have you seen?" (The complete lyrics are included in the booklet.) Etymon is Greek for meaning, and this excellent piece explores meaning through its form. "...[T]here is poetry in the phonetics, the semantics, the poetry, so that each part is subdivided, in a way fractionalized, so that this work about language plunges us into the depths of reflection," according to the essay by Colin Roche.

Da Capo (1985-86 -- 14'20)
For 9 instruments
This lively, propulsive work takes the shape of an arch, with the clarinet initially carrying the work's pulsation and rhythm. It passes in turn to the flute, then the vibraphone, the violin and then to the entire ensemble.

A fuoco, #4 studio sulla memoria (1995 -- 14'41)
For guitar and ensemble
This piece sounds for all the world like Ralph Towner and Oregon, albeit with a less folk-oriented modus operandi. The guitar of Pablo Marquez is accompanied by flute, violin, cello, piano, and percussion. Like "Da Capo," it is a lively and transparent piece that carries the listener along effortlessly.

Animus (1995 -- 14'44)
For trombone and electronics
"Animus" is the most abrasive of Francesconi's works here, featuring Benny Sluchin's trombone, morphed into extreme forms by the electronics. Following from the other works, it propels the entire sonic adventure into another dimension.

Luca Francesconi is definitely a contemporary composer who deserves a wide audience. I find it mystifying that he is not mentioned at all in the new Third Edition of Paul Griffiths' Modern Music and After, while he devotes pages to another contemporary Italian composer, Salvatore Sciarrino. Francesconi's music is not nearly as hermetic, and while challenging, is more extroverted and engaging than Sciarrino's.

I highly recommend this disc to all neuemusik listeners.

(verified purchase from ArkivMusic)