Columbia Sounds & Infuse present Franco Venturini « Mikro and Makro-Kosmos»

George Crumb’s first two Makrokosmos, both for solo piano, are both sets of character pieces that take their inspiration from a dizzying universe of mythological and allegorical images. To represent these images and intertwining philosophical inquiries, Crumb developed a language of extended techniques to expand the palette of the solo piano. The performer is catapulted beyond the horizon of the piano keys, and hands and objects interact directly with the strings. In creating this surprising and ritualistic soundworld, Crumb built on the legacy of an earlier American composer, Henry Cowell. Cowell pioneered both the technique of playing directly on the strings (his string piano) and the use of the dense sonic masses we now call clusters (playing all the keys between two pitches).

Franco Venturini’s program of character pieces by Crumb and Cowell that illustrate their extended piano techniques, alternating between the two composers in groups of pieces that illustrate their shared themes and images- creation, light, darkness, destruction, the unknowability of the universe.

The Program:

Henry COWELL - Three Irish Legends (1912) : I. The Tides of Manaunaun

George CRUMB - Makrokosmos I (1972) – Fantasy-Pieces after the Zodiac

I. Primeval Sounds (Genesis I) – Cancer

II. Proteus - Pisces

III. Pastorale (from the Kingdom of Atlantis, ca. 10.000 B.C.) – Taurus

V. The Phantom Gondolier - Scorpio

Henry COWELL - The Banshee (1925)

George CRUMB - Makrokosmos I (1972) – Fantasy-Pieces after the Zodiac

VII. Music of Shadows (for Aeolian Harp) – Libra

IX. The Abyss of Time – Virgo

X. Spring-Fire - Aries

XI. Dream Images (Love-Death Music) – Gemini

Henry COWELL - Three Irish Legends (1912) : II. The Hero Sun

George CRUMB - Makrokosmos II (1973) – Fantasy-Pieces after the Zodiac

I. Morning Music - (Genesis II) - Cancer

II. The Mystic Chord – Sagittarius

III. Rain-Death Variations - Pisces

IV. Twin Suns (Doppelgänger aus der Ewigkeit) [SYMBOL] – Gemini

Henry COWELL - Three Irish Legends (1912) : III. The Voice of Lir

George CRUMB - Makrokosmos II (1973) – Fantasy-Pieces after the Zodiac

IX. Cosmic Wind – Libra

XI. Litany of the Galactic Bells – Leo

XII. Agnus Dei - Capricorn

Henry COWELL - Sinister Resonance (1940)

George CRUMB - Makrokosmos II (1973) – Fantasy-Pieces after the Zodiac

V. Ghost-Nocturne : for the Druids of Stonehenge (Night-Spell II) - Virgo

VI. Gargoyles - Taurus

VII. Tora! Tora! Tora! (Cadenza Apocalittica) - Scorpio

VIII. A Prophecy of Nostradamus [SYMBOL] – Aries

Pianist and composer Franco Venturini is dedicated to discovering, interpreting, and disseminating the music of today. After studies in Italy (Conservatory of Bologna, Chigiana and St. Cecilia Academies in Siena and Rome, respectively), he studied composition and the University of Paris 8. In Paris, he is a member of soundinitiative and has also collaborated with Accroche Note and FontanaMIX. Franco has received various prizes and has been heard widely as a pianist and as a composer (Salle Cortot, Biennale di Venezia, Pharos Arts Foundation - Cyprus, Musikprotokoll - Graz, Biennale de Zagreb, Festival Slowind Ljubljana, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts). He also teaches and gives lecture-recitals on the contemporary piano repertoire.