Maestro Daniele Lombardi, a renowned international composer and artist performed a concert last week within the fascinating spiral of the Guggenheim Museum [2].
The Florentine musician passionately performed for the New York audience during the evening filled with futurisim pieces from the 1900 retracing a historical concept very dear to futurism: "the noise music [3]," theorized by the Futurist painter Luigi Russolo [4].
The pieces played by the artist took the audience back in time to when the futurists were playing with speed, the sounds of words and architecture of sound itself.
It’s a well-known fact that Futurism drew inspiration from the concept of movement, new technological discoveries and communication and machines, which produced noise and speed. Moreover, artistic fields such as painting, publishing, music, theater, fashion and dance became the center of experimentation for Italian, Russian and French artists.
In the words of maestro Lombardi [5] "It has been said that music begins where sign and gesture ends, but it is also true that sign and gesture begin where music ends. History of languages is a continuous circular motion."
Over the course of his career, the pianist has worked extensively on some of the most important historical avant-garde musical pieces of the 1900’s. One of his most successful events was the first large-scale performance of modern composers of Italian and Russian futurism: Alberto Savino, Alexander Mossolov, George Antheil.
His great interest in music led him to write various books, including "The fast sound:
Futurism and futuristic music."
It is for this reason that the pianist and visual artist Lombardi wanted to offer to the
public a series of pieces by some of the most famous composers such as Francesco
Balilla Pratella, Silvio Mix, Aldo Giuntini, Alfredo Casella and many others.
The concert was introduced by Susan Thompson [6], Assistant Curator of the
Guggenheim Museum. She stressed the importance of the Futurist avant-garde art
and its strong impact on the artistic level for audiences around the world.
After the brief introduction Thompson gave the floor to the well-known Maestro.
The lights dimmed, magical silence fell and out came Lombardi, his face focused yet
friendly, long white mustache, and a black cylinder hat, giving him a bit "futuristic"
look.
Behind him a magical play of lights and color began ... depending on the musical
notes the colors changed, blending into the magical and surreal atmosphere and
taking the audience back in time.
One cannot help but reflect on the concept of the revolution of the concept of
futurist-theater and the interaction between the artists, visual arts, the public and
the "musical noise" that they tried to achieve.
Once the concert ended (with the last piece of Louis the Great Horse + Steel, 1935)
there was a reception, with coffee by Lavazza, the official sponsor of the exhibition
on Futirism, as well as Prosecco and snacks.
To complete the futurist evening the entire exhibition on Futurism currently on
view at the Guggenheim was offered free of charge to further appreciate, love, and
understand better one of the most powerful and fascinating historical avant-garde
art movement of the twentieth century.
For additional information about Daniele Lombardi click here >>> [7]
Source URL: http://newsite.iitaly.org/magazine/focus/art-culture/article/maestro-daniele-lombardi-and-his-futurist-music
Links
[1] http://newsite.iitaly.org/files/38434danielelombardi1406242786jpg
[2] http://www.guggenheim.org/
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noise_music
[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luigi_Russolo
[5] http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luigi_Russolo
[6] http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CCsQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guggenheim.org%2Fnew-york%2Fabout%2Fstaff-profiles%2Fcurators%2Fsusan-thompson&ei=QqDaU4rUIca-sQTp-YGIDA&usg=AFQjCNE3h01JJuq17vdG2rHImin31TrRhA&bvm=bv.72185853,d.cWc
[7] http://www.danielelombardi.it/index_Cycle/cyclenew4.html