Giancarlo Cardini

Fluxus&NeoFluxus1

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Fluxus: two new publications

In the last couple of months two very interesting publications have been published about Fluxus, and I’m very pleased to have given my little contribution.

One is a double CD / LP in limited edition, Fluxus & NeoFluxus / Stolen Symphony (Vol. 1), by Sub Rosa label, enriched with a 72 pages booklet, full of texts, notes, images around Fluxus movement. Petr Studený and his Czech Opening Performance Orchestra had the idea to commission a collection of Fluxus recordings to some musicians devoted to this repertoire: Deborah Walker, Anna Clementi Ohlin, Werner Durand, Luciano Chessa, Miroslav Beinhauer, myself and several others.
I contributed with new recordings of pieces by Mieko Shiomi (Direction music for a pianist, for spoken voice, piano and cardboards), Dick Higgins (Emmett Williams’ Ear) and (inspired by) La Monte Young (Composition 1960 #15), and some re-releases by Philip Corner and Giancarlo Cardini.
But the entire first part of the collection features also music by Eric Andersen, George Brecht, Ay-O, John Cage, Giuseppe Chiari, Henning Christiansen, Öyvind Fahlström, Ken Friedman, Sten Hanson, Geoffrey Hendricks, Toshi Ichiyanagi, Joe Jones, Bengt af Klintberg, Milan Knizak, Alison Knowles, Larry Miller, George Maciunas, Sara Miyamoto, Nam June Paik, Yoko Ono, Opening Performance Orchestra, Benjamin Patterson, Josef Anton Riedl, Terry Riley, Takako Saito, Tomas Schmit, Dieter Schnebel, Yasunao Tone, Ben Vautier, Yoshi Wada.
The release is listed among the ten Best Contemporary Classical on Bandcamp in May 2023, here is the link.

An other collector’s item, but above all a valuable study tool, as far as I am concerned, is the beautiful book/catalogue “FLUXUS 1962-2022 – SIXTY YEARS IN FLUX”, published after the big event/exhibition in Genoa dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the founding of Fluxus (Sept-Nov 2022). In addition to the images documenting the exhibit, which alone would be worth the catalogue by themselves, the book is full of statements, testimonies and interviews by Fluxus artists and scholars. It is edited by Caterina Gualco, who has devoted endless energies to promoting Fluxus movement in Italy since the 70ies, Francesca Serrati and Leo Lecci.
Honoured to see the program of my September concert in Genoa at the end of the volume, designed by artist Mauro Panichella as all the other graphics of the event.
The book is available at Museo d’arte contemporanea di Villa Croce in Genoa.


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Lento trascolorare in Udine – Salotto Musicale Fvg

An event dedicated to Giancarlo Cardini coming soon this Friday, 27th January, organized by Salotto Musicale Fvg in Udine.
Cardini was the dedicatee of 2017/2018 season of Salotto, and visited the association listening to the concert and giving an interesting speech the day before.
Together with the music by Cardini, the Cold Pieces by Erik Satie – Cardini recorded the opera omnia for solo piano by Satie – and the Solo from Passion selon Sade by Sylvano Bussotti, a friend of the composer and companion in many concerts and performances. A special moment, the interwaving of the music with Cardini’s voice, reading his short poems from Bolle di Sapone / Soap bubbles and performing Solfeggio Parlante by Paolo Castaldi from the concert for Demetrio Stratos in Milan.
While preparing for this concert, several memories of Cardini’s collegues and friends were shared with me; a shining legacy silently scattered in the hearts of people who knew him. I am aware of how lucky I am to be able to witness all this.
Journalist Paolo Carradori will be again with me introducing the concert, as for last November performance in Rome.
Below some pics of the event

Photo by Claudia Hajek

Photo by Alberto Moretti


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Lento trascolorare in Rome

Music is a powerful tool for going beyond the earthly limits of space and time.
This is a thought that comes to my mind as I think with a certain emotion about the upcoming concert, with music by Giancarlo Cardini and Giacinto Scelsi, at Isabella Scelsi Foundation in Rome on November, 22.
Journalist Paolo Carradori will introduce the concert, dedicated to Giancarlo Cardini.
On Monday, 21st November an interview made by composer Stefano Taglietti for his series “Clocks and clouds” at Radio Start will be dedicated to Lento trascolorare and the concert in Rome (here in podcast – Italian).
The day after I’ll spend some time researching at the Archives of Scelsi Foundation, and then I’ll get back on the road to reach Conservatorio “A. Vivaldi” in Alessandria, my new teaching position for this academic year.

Below some pics of the event made by Paolo Carradori, in concert and in rehearsal playing on Giacinto Scelsi’s Bechstein piano, and with Gianni Trovalusci who kindly played the gong in Rituals for the Ryoanji Garden. On the wall, a gong that Scelsi gave to composer Mario Bertoncini, now again in place; in the background some of Bertoncini’s sonic sculptures.


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1962-2022 Fluxus celebration in Genoa

Next week I’ll be part of a huge celebration for Fluxus anniversary in Genoa, “1962-2022 Sixty Years in Flux”, a big exhibition in Villa Croce Contemporary Art Museum, performances, events and music around the city.
On Sept 15th I’ll play an Italian premiere by Mieko Shiomi and other pieces by Philip Corner, La Monte Young, Mieko Shiomi, Giancarlo Cardini, Dick Higgins.

Looking forward!

Genoa, Biblioteca Universitaria, 15th Sept. 2022


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“Visionaries” with Frances-Marie Uitti

Very excited for this upcoming concert  – Saturday October 23rd – together with cellist Frances-Marie Uitti in Udine at Salotto Musicale Fvg. “Visionaries”, dedicated to Sylvano Bussotti, is a duo exploration of music by Bussotti, Feldman, Brown, Cage, Stockhausen, together with works by Cardini, Uitti and a brand new work created for us by artist Luciano Martinis.
Looking forward to such a great experience!


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Lento trascolorare – live at “Aurore”

A dreamy open-air location surrounded by majestic lime trees will host the recital “Lento trascolorare”, with music by Giancarlo Cardini, Caterina Venturelli, Tan Dun, John Cage and Giacinto Scelsi.
First planned on a very special day, the 8th of August (see G.Scelsi, 5 Jan 1905 – 8 Aug 1988), then moved to the 22nd to… follow the sun.
An ideal place to resound in quietness.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


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(re)cover/3: Bolle di sapone and Lento trascolorare

Honoured to be part of the third publication of (re)cover by Libreria Martincigh in Udine, an editorial project that redeems out of print books and (re)presents them to the public along with new contributions in dialogue with the original work. Quoting the text introducing this edition:


“Started in 2016 by the bibliographic studio Martincigh, (re)cover creates hybrid publications that make resonate past and present, tracing connections between great masters and contemporary authors. (re)cover/3 presents the artist book by Giancarlo Cardini, Soap bubbles, published in 1991 by the Centro Di Edizioni, paired with the music album, Lento trascolorare, by the pianist Agnese Toniutti, produced by Da Vinci Classics, stemmed from collaboration between the Friulian interpreter and the Florentine composer.”

Bolle di Sapone/Soap bubbles includes a collection of short poems or, as the author writes, “Fragments of daily contemplations” collected from 1971 to 1989, the libretto of Il Castello Insonne, “scenic nocturnal mystery in 29 episodes, to be played between about two and four o’clock on a moon- less night” performed at Venice Biennale Musica in 1991, and the score of Neo-Haiku Suite for piano, flowers, lights, objects and two performers (1979), together with photographs from the performances. One of them, a picture by Enzo Della Monica, served as a cover image for the cd Lento trascolorare.

The (re)cover edition is also accompanied by a precious text by journalist and writer Brunella Torresin.

 


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Dlugoszewski, Cardini and Scelsi live – Bologna and Udine

Grateful and excited to play live again: a weekend on the road with music I love.
On Friday 18th Sept in Bologna, for Angelica 30th Festival. In program the intriguing music for timbre piano by Lucia Dlugoszewski (a European premiere) and a solo piano piece by Giancarlo Cardini from my new disc Lento trascolorare. Double set: it was great to share the stage with Frances Marie Uitti’s legendary cello (and music)!
On Sunday 20th Sept. in Villa di Toppo Florio (Buttrio, Ud), immersed in an enchanting botanical garden, for TreeArt Festival. A program dedicated to Giacinto Scelsi, introduced by Luciano Martinis’s lecture about the famous Palm Tree of Scelsi. In collaboration with Scelsi Foundation – Rome.
Below some pics and video of the events.

Angelica Festival, Bologna, before and during the concert

TreeArt Festival, Buttrio (UD), with Luciano Martinis and his series “La Palma di Scelsi” (Scelsi’s Palm Tree)

TreeArt Festival, Buttrio (UD), the concert (photo Lara Carrer)

https://www.facebook.com/eventibuttrio/videos/2726573880995801/

TreeArt Festival, Buttrio (UD), a video of the event


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Giancarlo Cardini: Lento trascolorare, piano music available on line and in store

Despite we’re definitely living in “interesting times”, as Venice Biennale 2019 seemed to foresee, music finds its way.
My new recording Giancarlo Cardini: Lento trascolorare, piano music is finally available on line at Da Vinci Classics website, and from June, 12th on digital distribution (iTunes, Amazon, etc) and in store. 
On the playlist four unreleased pieces, “Via del Fico, Firenze. Una piccola strada disadorna, silenziosa, quasi immota, arida e bella” (2011), “Tre momenti di sessualità infantile” (2007), “Terza Fantasia, ad Agnese Toniutti” (2018) and a new version of “Foglie d’autunno lentamente trascolorano” (1983, rev. 2018), together with the fascinating “Rituals for the Ryoanji Garden” for piano, gong and voice (2012) and “Una notte d’inverno” (1982) (preview here and below).
The booklet offers a writing by Giancarlo Cardini himself about his music. On the cover a picture by Enzo Della Monica taken during one of Cardini’s performances in the 80ies, part of the artist book Bolle di sapone/Soap bubbles (G. Cardini – Bolle di sapone, Centro Di, Firenze 1991). Inside some shots by the photographer Alberto Moretti.
The piano is a Steinway & Sons B-211 dated 1890, restored by Steinway Academy technician Lorenzo Cerneaz, with a magnificent sound, rich in resonance.
It’s a joy to finally see the first public (virtual but real) appearance of a project about music that I love. Let’s hope these sounds will have a long life, generous as they are in peaceful colours!

“…  there is a (contemplative) process absorbed with the rational calmness of those who practice the voluptuousness of critical thinking. […] And Toniutti is really good at returning these impressions and sensations.”
Mario Gamba, Alias – Il Manifesto, 16/5/2020

“Beyond time and space. […] spirals of enchanting repetitions that run alongside the silence, of expressive modesty in peace with the world. These Zen meditations progress lightly away from the care of the present, with a placid, ceremonial step, even without ever really advancing towards a specific goal. […] the album is in all respects (Cardini’s) portrait, light, intimate […]”
Gregorio Moppi, la Repubblica, 15/6/2020

Interview with Paolo Cantarutti, Radio Onde Furlane (Italian/Furlan): Lento trascolorare cun Agnese Toniutti
“A very beautiful CD, with music made up of consonances and soft dissonances that fade into each other, just like the title, and above all with a beautiful sound, with this old Steinway piano from 1890 with its so particular harmonics.”

“Giancarlo Cardini, the unrepeatable moment  – 
Pianist Agnese Toniutti in Lento Trascolorare reads with extraordinary depht piano compositions by the Tuscan composer”.
Review and interview by Paolo Carradori , il Giornale della Musica, 2/7/2020, (article in italian)

“… pages […] that the virtuoso pianist Agnese Toniutti expresses enphasizing the lyrical constructivist scattered between note and note.”
Guido Michelone, Alias – il Manifesto, 11/07/2020

“Giancarlo Cardini/Agnese Toniutti, Lento trascolorare piano music
Cardini entrusted to play some of his composition pianist Agnese Toniutti, who gave evidence of extraordinary accuracy and depht, capable as few others to recognize and enhance the implications and nuances of Cardini’s thought.”
Enzo Boddi, Musica Jazz, 12/07/2020 (italian)

“For Cardini’s 80th birthday, a critical contribution and a review of Agnese Toniutti’s cd
[…] Toniutti is good at grasping the very slow transfigurations, the subtle nuances, highlighting mottled dissonances or sweet consonances, the evocation of nature, the sense of mystery, the rituality of the gesture, returning us in a ‘cardinian sound’, possible only if the the interpreter adheres with participation to a completely personal and vaguely arcane (musical) world like that of Cardini’s music. An excellent example of how it should work.”
Renzo Cresti, www.renzocresti.com, 25/07/2020

“[…] it’s up to the interpreter – the talented pianist Agnese Toniutti – to bring out the most minute details and the most hidden expressive nuances, jealously guarded, but still eager to be shared with the listener.”
Filippo Focosi, Kathodik, 15/10/2020

Interview with Luisa Antoni, Radio Capodistria – Sonoramente classici, 26/7/2020 (podcast): Agnese Toniutti e Giancarlo Cardini

Interview with Marco Maria Tosolini, RAI Radio Uno – Il concerto che vorrei 5/9/2020 (podcast): Playing with…il gioco nella musica
“I recommend this cd […] whose songs induce a state of profound pacification“

Interview with Luca Berni, Rete Toscana Classica – Cronache musicali 9/9/2020 (podcast): Nuovi Album di Agnese Toniutti e Alberto Bocini
“A valuable publication […] the listener is engaged in a sort of walking journey within the music. In this moment we may need a music that is so rarefied but very present and very alive, which speaks to us of today, of our time. It is a very special record, let me tell you, it is a record that requires work from the listener, which requires attention.”

RAI Radio Tre – Battiti 24/9/2020 (podcast): Lento trascolorare

 


Panorama Cardini

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Giancarlo Cardini’s recording coming soon

Beginning of Autumn dedicated to the music of Giancarlo Cardini, working with the composer himself and recording in studio on a marvellous resounding Steinway B dated 1860, restored by Cerneaz Pianoforti – Official Steinway Dealer. The recording, including three unedited pieces, will be released at the beginning of 2020. Below, the inspiringly silent view from Cardini’s studio, in the Tuscan countryside, and some pics from the recording session (thanks to Luca Piovesan, sound engineer and… photographer.)

The view (and silence) of Tuscan countryside from Cardini’s studio

Playing the marvellous Steinway B dated 1860, restored by Cerneaz Pianoforti…

…and the impressive gong by AltrOnde/Stefano Dalan. Plenty of beautiful sounds!


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