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I Cavalli Ridono, Merging music and lyrics
The slow rhythm of cello played by Swiss musician Zeno Gabaglio plunged the audience into a mysterious atmosphere - as if they were being taken into another world
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he slow rhythm of cello played by Swiss musician Zeno Gabaglio plunged the audience into a mysterious atmosphere - as if they were being taken into another world.
The voice of the acoustic and electronic cello mingled with other synthesized sounds in a dynamic loop and a green light at the back of the stage gave the performance a mysterious feel.
Clad in a white suit, Gabaglio fully immersed himself in his music, skillfully scouring his cello. Once in a while he would turn to his laptop (on a table to his right) mixing the cello with other sounds.
Zeno Babaglio (far left) and Vanni Bianconi (center) perform at the Istituto Italiano di Cultura. (COURTESY OF EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND)
As Gabaglio turned down the his cello, Vanni Bianconi, sporting a white shirt and black pants, began to read a Polish poem, telling a "story" about a man called Zbigniew.
The music from the cello really went well with the poem, bringing the story from the poetry to life. The poem was delivered bilingually, in Italian and English. When it came to Italian words, English subtitles appeared in the background, so those who could not speak Italian could understand what was being said.
As the poem reached a chorus, the music turned from slow into ethnic, with a slight echo. Gabalio also added techno and rock to his music that evening, giving it a dramatic feel.
The combination of poem recital and cello music was really stunning. The music itself brought the poetry "alive".
The sound of cello was not the same as what we may have heard in a classical music or from a chamber orchestra. The sound of the cello had more of a disco ambiance, normally associated with a dance floor or night clubs.
Musician Zeno Gabaglio and poet Vanni Bianconi put their talents together in a performance called I Cavalli Ridono (the laughing horses) recently at the Istituto Italiano di Cultura (IIC) in Menteng, Central Jakarta.
I Cavalli Ridono is inspired by Quando Stanno Morendo (when they are dying), a piece for voice, cello, flute and live electronics written by Italian composer Luigi Nono. Both compositions deal with poetry, music and Polish and European history.
Gabaglio used recorded readings in Italian, English and Polish to create the vocal material of live electronics and cello composition intertwined with Vanni Bianconi's poetry recital.
Bianconi said he was fascinated in Poland, adding that the country had great poets of the 20th century.
The performance was opened with a glimpse into the Canton of Ticino, the part of Switzerland in which people speak Italian, which has definitely not lost touch with the great flavors of Italian cuisine.
Even though they are from the same region in Switzerland, they admitted that they had never met each other before, saying this was also their first time performing together.
Born in Mendrisio, Switzerland, in 1979, Gabaglio has been playing cello since he was eight years old. In 2000, he obtained a degree in musical education from the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana.
Four years later he obtained a bachelor's degree in philosophy from the Universita degli Studi in Florence, Italy, with a thesis in musical aesthetics.
Over the years, Gabaglio has focused his career on music - as an interpreter of new music, as author of his own music and as an improviser. He has paid a lot of attention to the development of electro-acoustics for the cello.
Since 2003, he has performed extensively throughout Europe and has received several awards for his participation in live performances, recordings and films.
Meanwhile, Bianconi himself is the artistic director of the festival of literature and translation, Babel.
His first poetry collection, Faura dei Morti, was published in 2004, while his first book, called Ora prima. Sei Spoesie lunghe (Edizioni Casagrande, 2008), won the Encouragement Schiller Prize in 2009. The 32-year-old poet now lives in London and works as a translator.
Besides in IIC, Gabaglio and Bianconi also performed at the Utan Kayu Literary Biennale in Salihara, South Jakarta.
