- Jess Gillam
- Venezuela
- Hanns Eisler School of Music
- Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
- Vladimir Nabokov
- Rachel Mahon
- Pruitt Igoe
- Waldir Azevedo: Brasileirinho
Multiple Aesthetic References
GIUSEPPE PENNISI listens to music by Alessandro Perini
'... a very interesting CD for listeners and lovers of experimental music.'
This CD by Alessandro Perini combines electronic sound manipulation with the creation of electromechanical and electroacoustic instruments and a reflection on sound environment, tending toward the exploration of unusual compositional solution. In short, it is experimental music and as such, it deserves to be listened to and commented upon.
A few words about the composer. Alessandro Perini is a young musician: he studied composition (with Luca Francesconi and Ivan Fedele among others), electronic music and science of musical communication in Italy and Sweden. His artistic production ranges from instrumental and electronic music to audiovisual and light-based works, net-art, land-art and vibration-based works, recently focusing on custom-built machines. He is currently teaching electronic music composition at the Music Academy of Malmö (Sweden). He has been composer-in-residence in American universities and has been awarded important prizes in Asia (eg Singapore). Consequently, his experience is part of a broader tendency in electronic and electroacoustic music.
On the CD, Perini's music is played by the Ars Nova Ensemble (Simone Beneventi, Irene Bianco, Vincent Caers, Natalie Eriksson, Marco Fusi, Oded Geizhals, Stanislas Pili, Ruben Mattia Santorsa and Nagisa Shibata) and the Duo Dillon-Torquati. They are all involved in experimental music.
It includes seven short scores, composed between 2016 and 2020; the CD was issued by Kairos in 2021.
The CD starts with Space/Spectrum, composed in 2017. The ensemble is very simple: a kalimba, three toy pianos and electronic sound; the instruments are placed in a large space to immerse the listener in a multidirectional acoustic environment with a gentle rhythm almost caressing the audience.
Listen — Alessandro Perini: Space/Spectrum
(track 1, 0:01-1:00) ℗ 2021 paladino media gmbh :
The second piece is titled Intorno alla traccia (Around the track), composed in 2017.
Listen — Alessandro Perini: Intorno alla traccia
(track 2, 4:56-5:55) ℗ 2021 paladino media gmbh :
It forms a triptych with Epicentro and Rondò, both dated 2020. In the three pieces, classical chamber music paradigms are modified by the employment of electronic and electroacoustic devices such as Arduino microcontrollers. The CD booklet explains the technical details and specifications.
Listen — Alessandro Perini: Epicentro
(track 4, 3:48-4:32) ℗ 2021 paladino media gmbh :
For the listener, there are similarities with the experiments by Lukas Ligeti of merging electronic and electroacoustic music with African traditional music: both open new paths to composing and listening. It is too soon to know if they would capture other musicians and an audience larger than that limited to experimental music composers and listeners.
Listen — Alessandro Perini: Rondò
(track 6, 12:46-13:42) ℗ 2021 paladino media gmbh :
On that day my left ear became a frog, composed in 2018 and written for quite unconventional instruments such as chipboard wood with microphones to amplify the resonance, is quite pleasant.
Steel string quartet, dated 2016, is for four performers; they play on wooden swings suspended by steel strings strong enough to bear the weight of the musicians. The acoustic space is amplified by microphones in the steel strings. The music surrounds the listener.
Listen — Alessandro Perini: Steel string quartet
(track 5, 7:36-8:26) ℗ 2021 paladino media gmbh :
Finally N-S, composed in 2017, has a style very similar to that of Space/Spectrum which opens the CD.
In short, this is a very interesting CD for listeners and lovers of experimental music.
Copyright © 26 January 2022
Giuseppe Pennisi,
Rome, Italy
CD INFORMATION - ALESSANDRO PERINI: THE EXPANDED BODY
CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL MUSIC ARTICLES