On Air - On Site : 48 Hours of Radio Art

Aired on May 26th 03:00 CEST 2024
SOMATOPOÉTICAS
Genre: Fixed Media
Duration: 120 min
How to engage in dialogue with and amidst the distances and steadfastness of affections? The inspirations for Somatopoéticas - as ocean-deep waves - encompass memories that thread through more than 20 years.
Right from the start, I yearned to weave together two layers. The first one, slowly unfurling, spans about 9 hours (the daily duration of the exhibition "Entremeios," for which this soundscape form was woven). Within it lie the texts of my dear friend André Visinoni, here recorded by his mother and myself; a snippet of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony (which bears a special significance as the inception of our friendship); and bowed crotales. This foundation stretches its sonic fabric to the edges of near absurdity, with microseconds transmuted into lengthy melodious tapestries that endure for minutes, subsequently filtered and and carefully superimposed, following a plan where no moment repeats - the ever-unfolding, transmuted into music reminiscent of Beti's textile works.
The second layer comprises micro-level edits on recordings of André's texts by himself and Beti, along with material collected from a conversation between him and me. Here, words lose their sense, leaving behind only the natural inflections of our mother tongue, fragmented sequences that swiftly change, the surprises, the mutable essence of life, Beti’s circles and small spheres. This layer, lasting 47 minutes, repeats approximately 10 times, either submerging or taking center stage in the listening experience.
This blend allows each moment within the exhibition to engage in a distinct cross-media dialogue with sound. Sometimes, the layers impose themselves, frictional and challenging, defying focus; other times, diaphanous lines unthread on the verge of near-memory. This work was part of Bernadete Amorim’s solo exposition “Entremeios”, which run from June 03 to July 23 in MuMA (Museu Municipal de Arte), Curitiba, Brazil.

Featuring:

Cristiano Melli

Cristiano Melli, born in Campo Grande, Brazil, in 1980, is a composer with a rich international background. He pursued his music education in São Paulo under Almeida Prado and Osvaldo Lacerda before completing Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Composition at The Royal Conservatorium of The Hague in 2016, studying with Gilius van Bergeijk, Cornelis de Bondt, Yannis Kyriakides and Calliope Tsoupaki. Notably, Melli contributed to the acclaimed Aus LICHT production and has had his compositions featured in festivals across the globe, from Amsterdam to Switzerland. His music has been published by Periferia Music and Synzine, with his recent works being picked up by Dutch publishing house DONEMUS.

In addition to his compositional output, Melli has been involved with Studio LOOS in The Hague, as a Senior Researcher Artistic team member, developing innovative projects like HERTZ and PERSEPHONE ZOOMED. He has received grants and commissions for his work, including funding for his upcoming staged works.

Looking ahead, Melli is preparing for premieres and commissions, including the overture for I LIV’D AS BEFORE, a multimedia project with the Rhythm Method string quartet, and collaborations with renowned musicians Ola Rokkones and Edmundo Hora. His diverse portfolio and ongoing projects showcase his versatility and dedication to pursuing a personal and distinct voice.

Online streaming from May 24 at 20:00 until May 26 at 20:00 (CEST) Live events: Saturday, May 25. h 14:00 Institute of Sonology Sunday, May 26. h 13:30 WEST Den Haag