Couperin Project
The idea of the "Couperin Project" was conceived by Harpsichord Professor Massimo Salcito ("L. D'Annunzio" Conservatoire of Pescara) on the occasion of the third centenary of the first printed publication of François Couperin's masterpiece "L'Art de toucher le Clavecin", a milestone of the European music history. Professors, researchers, professionals from various Italian conservatoires, institutions and associations cooperated in the project, within which the production of concerts, conferences, plays and exhibitions have been realized.
The Contemporary Music Department of "A. Casella" Conservatoire took part in the project with its students, who have especially composed 15 original works inspired to the 8 Preludes contained in Couperin's collection. The Conservatoire instrumental group ExégemaEnsemble has performed in first absolute performance these 15 pieces in various ensembles.
The final concert - titled "Ieri e oggi Couperin" - was performed on 16th June 2017 in the Auditorium Shigeru Ban. The large audience witnessed the meeting of two different musical worlds, separated by three centuries: Baroque style and contemporary language.
Tommaso Gaeta, Claudia Poggi ed Elena Ricci (flutes), Simona Mancinelli (oboe), Margherita Visco (clarinet), Giuseppe Fantozzi (bassoon), Massimo Di Gaetano e Antonio Sgueglia (guitar), Alex Cicconi (electric guitar), Francesca D’Alessio, Daniele Lombardi, Simone Morgia, Federico Santori e Jacopo Petrucci (pianoforte), Massimo Salcito e Maria Jolanda Mastrovecchio (harpsichord), Serena Di Iulio e Lavinia Vagnozzi (violins), Maria Ilaria Sbraga (violas), Gaia Di Domenico (cello).
Proprio come Pantani READ MORE Actors: Silvio Sarta, Rossella Micolitti, Nicoletta Ragone, Rebecca Di Renzo, Raffaella Colangeli Programme: CLOSE
Collaborations with the actor and director Silvio Sarta
Academic year 2016-2017
During the academic year 2016-2017, with the coordination of Professor Marco Della Sciucca, the Department participated in the production of two theatrical works written and directed by Silvio Sarta and performed by himself together with other actors and dancers. The music has been written by the students of Composition, who have previously and repeatedly met the director and the staff to study the dramatic rhythms and dynamics and the expressive relationships with text and dance. Professors took part in these meetings and supervised the work of their students. During the public performances the music composed for the two theatrical works has been played by students of the Conservatoire and during this collective work was formed the "ExégemaEnsemble" which has soon become the Department reference ensemble for the performance of contemporary music.
Proprio come Pantani. Vivere da mito, morire da soli. Theatrical work about the last days of the cycling champion Marco Pantani's life. Performed at the Teatro Comunale of L'Aquila (May 27th 2017) and at Teatro Circus of Pescara (May 29th 2017).
Dancer: Nicoletta Ragone, Raffaella Coangeli
Musical Coordination: Marco Della Sciucca
Musical consultant to the director: Paolo Di Rocco
Music by Francesco Brandolini, Emanuele De Gasperis, Mariachiara Di Cosimo, Paolo Di Rocco, Andrei O. Popescu, Federico Santori, Francesco Sbraccia
ExégemaEnsemble “A. Casella” Conservatoire, L’Aquila: Susanna Battisti (flute), Margherita Visco (clarinet), Simone Salvatori (sax), Andrea Cauduro (guitar), Edolo Ciampichetti (percussions), Stefano Sponta (bayan), Francesco Brandolini (pianoforte), Serena Di Iulio (violin), Flavia Massimo (cello). Francesco Sbraccia: conductor.
Paolo Di Rocco, La porta e la fine
Federico Santori, Ho trentaquattro anni
Francesco Sbraccia, Eva... mi chiamo Eva
Andrei O. Popescu, Sovrapposizione, Tango del Pirata
Paolo Di Rocco, Un giorno dopo l’altro
Francesco Brandolini, Cosa volete da me adesso? “Ricordanza”
Emanuele De Gasperis, Mi hanno insegnato,
Mariachiara Di Cosimo, Il Pirata adesso starà male
Federico Santori, Buon San Valentino, Pirata
La storia che non si deve raccontare
Collaborations with the actor and director Silvio Sarta
Academic year 2016-2017
During the academic year 2016-2017, with the coordination of Professor Marco Della Sciucca, the Department participated in the production of two theatrical works written and directed by Silvio Sarta and performed by himself together with other actors and dancers. The music has been written by the students of Composition, who have previously and repeatedly met the director and the staff to study the dramatic rhythms and dynamics and the expressive relationships with text and dance. Professors took part in these meetings and supervised the work of their students. During the public performances the music composed for the two theatrical works has been played by students of the Conservatoire and during this collective work was formed the "ExégemaEnsemble" which has soon become the Department reference ensemble for the performance of contemporary music.
La storia che non si deve raccontare. A monologue inspired to L'Aquila earthquake of 2009. Performed on 15th December 2016 in the Faculty of Human Sciences main hall of the University of L'Aquila.
Video
READ MORE Actor: Silvio Sarta Programme: CLOSE
Coreography: Nicoletta Ragone
Dancers: Vanessa Lattanzio, Valentina d’Aprile, Elisa Romano e Sofia Cipollini
Musical Coordination: Marco Della Sciucca.
Music by Francesco Brandolini, Mariachiara Di Cosimo, Paolo Di Rocco, Andrei O. Popescu, Federico Santori, Francesco Sbraccia.
ExégemaEnsemble “A. Casella” Conservatoire – L’Aquila: Susanna Battisti (flute), Mariachiara Di Cosimo (clarinet), Simone Salvatori (bariton sax), Andrea Cauduro (guitar), Salvatore Cella (bayan), Serena Di Iulio (violin) Francesco Sbraccia, conductor
1. Andrei O. Popescu, Eppure la notte mi piaceva… (introduzione e notturno) for flute, baritone sax, bayan and violin
2. Francesco Sbraccia, Sonno creativo for flute, clarinet, guitar, accordéon and violin
3. Mariachiara Di Cosimo, È un tempo eterno for clarinet
4. Mariachiara Di Cosimo, Sciame sismico for bayan
5. Federico Santori, Ieri ho raccolto delle pietre for guitar
6. Paolo Di Rocco, Voi non ci conoscete for flute, clarinet, baritone sax and violin
7. Francesco Brandolini, Perché, perché, perché? for bayan
8. Francesco Brandolini, Fantasmi for baritono sax and bayan
9. Francesco Sbraccia, Le ultime parole d’amore for flute, clarinet, baritono sax, guitar, bayan and violin
10. Andrei O. Popescu, Questa è l’ultima volta for flute, clarinet, baritono sax, guitar, bayan and violin
ExégemaEnsemble
The ExégemaEnsemble derives its name from the ancient Greek word ε͗ξήγημα. This polysemantic noun can have different meanings: storytelling, exposition, interpretation, comment, translation and therefore seems to embody the multiplicity of interpretative paths which is the main aim of the musical group. The ensemble was born spontaneously in the academic year 2016-17 at Conservatoire of music "A. Casella" of L'Aquila in order to perform of the students' compositions in various productions. It is a modular group involving the best students from different schools departments. Until now the ensemble took part in three projects:
La storia che non si deve raccontare, a monologue by and with Silvio Sarta. Performed on 15th December 2016 in the Faculty of Human Sciences main hall of the University of L'Aquila.
Proprio come Pantani. Vivere da mito, morire da soli, theatrical piece by Silvio Sarta, performed at the Teatro Comunale of L'Aquila (May 27th 2017) and at Teatro Circus of Pescara (May 29th 2017).
Ieri e oggi Couperin. I giovani compositori e l’Art de Toucher le Clavecin, concert performed on 16th June 2017 in the Auditorium Shigeru Ban of "A. Casella" Conservatoire of L'Aquila.
The ExégemaEnsemble has premiered music works of
Andrea Baiocco, Francesco Brandolini, Sebastian De Amicis, Giuseppe De Cusatis, Emanuele De Gasperis, Maria Chiara Di Cosimo, Paolo Di Rocco, Daniele Lombardi, Vittorio Lucchese, Alberto Mastracci, Simone Morgia, Lorenzo Pasqualucci, Jacopo Petrucci, Andrei O. Popescu, Federico Santori, Francesco Sbraccia.
Collaborations with the Società Aquilana dei Concerti "B.Barattelli"
“Le avventure di Costante”, scenic cantata about the Italian Risorgimento, performed on 30th March 2011 in L'Aquila.
Texts by the writing workshop held at the Scuola Media "G. Carducci", coordinated by Giovanna Paolini and Cecilia Cruciani, musicological and historical tutoring by Gianluca Tarquinio and Francesco Sanvitale.
Original music and arrangements by Fabio Massimo Capogrosso, Claudio Galassi, Tommaso Turchetta (world premiere)
Video-scenography by Simone Alesi and Manuel Pucciarelli
Giulio Viotta, actor, Children's choir e Young People's Choir of the Società Aquilana dei Concerti "B.Barattelli", Stefano Baiocco, choir's conductor, Gruppo strumentale del Conservatorio di Musica "A.Casella" dell'Aquila.
Collaborations with the Orchestra Sinfonica Abruzzese
In October 2011 the Abruzzese Symphonic Institution (ISA), the conducting class of Professor Marcello Bufalini and the composition classes started a fruitful collaboration. Since then the scores composed by bachelor and master students for their final dissertation are performed by ISA after being supervised by teachers. Below the list of collaborations and of students' works performed from 2011 on.
4th October 2017
Master of Composition and Composition's for screens Thesis - Conservatoire Hall
Simone Blasioli, "No country for old man", conductor Simone Blasioli
14th July 2016
Bachelor of Composition's Thesis - Conservatoire Hall
Music by: Ilkay Bora Öder, Lorenzo Pasqualucci, Sandro Savagnone
Ilkay Bora Öder, "Anatolia", conductor Nil Venditti
Lorenzo Pasqualucci, "Variazione continua", conductor Simone Blasioli
Sandro Savagnone, "Impromptu", conductor Giordano Ferranti
15th October 2014
Bachelor of Composition's Thesis - Conservatoire Hall
Music by: Fabio Abbate Simone Blasioli Paolo Fradiani
Fabio Abbate, "Campanili d'Italia", conductor Claudio Galassi
Simone Blasioli, "Impressioni", conductor Giordano Ferranti
Paolo Fradiani, "Archetypi", conductor Vittoriano Vinciguerra 
1st October 2011
Master of Composition's Thesis - Conservatoire Hall
Music by: Fabio Massimo Capogrosso, Alessandro Marchese, Matilde Mulè, Simone Palmieri
Fabio Massimo Capogrosso, "Ad Perpetuam Rei Memoriam", for orchestra, narrator and piano, piano A. Soccorsi, narrator A. Quaresima
Alessandro Marchese, "Il viaggio dello sciamano", for orchestra
Matilde Mulè, "Il castello interiore", symphonic poem in seven moradas, from Santa Teresa d'Avila for orchestra
Simone Palmieri, "Variazioni per orchestra"
Conductor, Sesto Quatrini
Collaboration with the Ismez
Music Live
i Giovani X i Giovani
Circuitazione concertistica
October/November 2010
in cooperation with MIUR and the Conservatoire of L'Aquila, Monopoli, Napoli, Roma
13th November 2010 L’Aquila, Ridotto del Teatro Comunale
as part of the Concert Season of the Istituzione Sinfonica Abruzzese
Generation comparison
New music by the Composition classes of L'Aquila Conservatoire
Sandro Savagnone “Ruit hora” (from E. Montale)
Fabio Massimo Capogrosso “La leggenda di Mastrofuoco”
Alessandro Marchese “Rapsodia romantica”
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Franck Angelis “Romance”
Ole Schmidt “Toccata n. 1” for accordion bayan
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New music by Matteo D’Amico on texts written by young people's of L'Aquila, after the earthquake
Matteo D’Amico “6 aprile 2009” texts by Thomas Pistoia e Patrizia Tocci
Ensemble of Casella Conservatoire, tutor Alvaro Lopes Ferreira
Matteo Grimaldi flute, Giulio Filippetti trumpet, Alessandro Fischione accordion bayan, Umberto Giancarli viola, Filippo Di Domenico cello, Annalisa Quaresima soprano and narrator, Direttore Tommaso conducting