Danza D´Amore
Amelia Cuni – vocals, tanpura
Tatty Theo – cello
Francis Silkstone – baroque violin
Frederico Sanesi – tabla, mridangam, pakhawaj, kettle drum
Nuria Sala Grau – dance (optional)
Dies ist eine musikalische und choreographische Reise durch Raum und Zeit. Amelia Cuni’s Darstellung des alten und erhebenden Dhrupad – Gesanges aus Nord – Indien hat weitverbreitete Anerkennung in der nationalen indschen Presse erlangt. Die CD ist von New Earth Records, München 1998 aufgenommen worden. In DANZA D’AMORE erreicht Amelia Cuni’s Musik eine neue Dimension, indem sie ihre italienischen Wurzeln miteinbringt: ihr Gesang wird zu einer Brücke zwischen den mittelalterlichen mystischen Traditionen Indiens und Italiens. Dhrupad ist ein inspirierendes, religiöses Genre, zugleich aber auch leidenschaftlich und erdgebunden. Es ist zutiefst melodiös und besteht aus strukturierten und meditativen Momenten sowie aus Improvisationen grösster rhythmischer Vitalität. Hier ist Dhrupad mit den folgenden Elementen kombiniert, um eine substantielle Präsentation, reich an Nuancen, unerwarteten Klangstrukturen und faszinierendem Tanz zu schaffen:
—Innovative Begleitung beeinflusst von früher europäischer Musik
—Perkussions Rhythmen aus Europa, Indien und dem mittleren Osten
—Originale Choreographie, die auf dem indischen Bharat – Natyam Tanz und zeitgenössischem westlichen Tanz basiert
Die hier aufgeführten, sorgfältig ausgewählten Texte sind das Zentrum aller musikalischen und choreographischen Mühe. Diese mystischen Verse werden zu einem vereinheitlichenden Element, das einen starken emotionalen Zusammenprall schafft, voll von Eindrücken und Athmosphäre:
—Tempel Lieder des mittelalterlichen Indiens
—Kirchenlieder der alten Römer (in Latein)
—Laudatien des mittelalterlichen Italiens
—Einfache Lieder der Zisterzienserklöster (in Latein)
—Moderne italienische Verse von Arturo Onofri
—Dieses Konzert kann auch Kompositionen von Terry Riley beinhalten, die dieser speziell für dieses Ensemble geschrieben hat. Die Texte dazu sind von Herman Hesse’s Siddharta inspiriert.
In DANZA D’AMORE laden wir das Pubikum ein uns bei unserem Streben nach einem Ideal zu begleiten. Ein Ideal, wo die dargebotenen Künste als ein Angebot des Selbst und des Göttlichen gesehen werden, ein geheiligter Moment der Besinnung und der Extase, Nahrung für Geist und Körper.
english
This is a musical and choreographic journey trough space and time. Amelia Cuni’s performances of the ancient and uplifting tradition of dhrupad singing from North India have attracted widespread acclaim in the Indian national press. The CD is published by New Earth Records, Munich 1998. In DANZA D’ AMORE Amelia’s music achieves a novel dimension by integrating her Italian roots: her singing becomes a bridge between the medieval mystic traditions of India and Italy. Dhrupad is an inspirational, devotional genre and at the same time passionate and earthy. It is highly melodious and consists of structured and mediative moments as well as improvisations of great rhythmic vitality. Here dhrupad is combined with the following elements to create an organic presentation rich in nuances, unexpected sound – textures and a fascinating dance vocabulary:
- Innovative accompaniment influenced by Early European music
- European, Middle – Eastern and Indian percussion rhythms
- Original choreography based on Indian Bharat – Natyam and Western contemporary dance.
The carefully selected texts are the focus of all the musical and choreographic efforts. These mystic verses become a unifying element producing a strong emotional impact, full of suggestion and athmosphere:
- temple hymns of medieval India
- hymns of the ancient Romans (in Latin)
- Laudi of medieval Italy
- plain – chants of the Cistercian monastries (in Latin)
- modern Italian verses by Arturo Onofri
- this concert may include compositions by Terry Riley, specifically written for this ensemble. The texts are inspired by Herman Hesse’s SIDDHARTA
In DANZA D’AMORE we invite the audience to join us in our pursuit of an ideal where the performing arts are conceived as an offering of the Self to the Divine, a sacred moment of contemplation and ecstasy, food for mind and soul.
Frederico Sanesi was born and lives in Milan, Italy. He started studying percussion at tender age. When he was 16 he travelled to South India in order to learn the ritualistic drum tavil. Since 1980 he has been learning tabla from Shankha Chatterjee in Venice, Berlin and Calcutta. He received further training in South Indian drumming at the Kalashetra in Madras. His musical interests are focussed on the so – called “ethic” percussions of Europe, Middle – East and India. He works on integrating various musical languages and is involved in theatre, dance, poetry, cinema and visual art projects. While persuing a very active international career as a live performer he is also a sought after studio musician. He has contributed to more than 25 CDs and performs with renowned Indian classical musicians and dancers as well as in jazz and world – music ensembles.
Tatty Theo read music at the Queen’s College, Oxford, continuing her studies at postgraduate level at the Royal College of Music with Anthony Pleeth and Jennifer Ward Clarke, where she was awarded her ARCM and MMus degrees. Tatty won many prizes including first prize in the 1995 Century Fund Early Music Competition, and was the recipient of a NOSWAD scholarship to further her studies. She has performed with many ensembles and at festivals and concert halls thoughout Britain and abroad, with broadcasts on BBC Radio and television. In addition to concert performances and lectures on related subjects, Tatty is currently preparing performing editions of several unpublished works by Händel. She is the founder and director of the Brook Street Band, the award – winning period instrument ensemble specialising in the music of Händel and his European contemporaries.
Francis Silkstone is an English composer, performer and ethnomusicologist who works with various Western and Asian traditions. He studied classical and Baroque violin, sitar as a Commonwealth Scholar in India (with Imrat Khan). During his 3 years’ stay in Bangkok he learnt the Thai classical fiddle which has been the subject of his Ph. D. dissertation. He has recorded five CDs of original library film music compositions for De Wolfe Ltd. He has worked as a music consultant on Attenborough’s film “Gandhi”, on “The Jewel and the Crown”, and for the Asian Music Circuit. He is a regular guest lecturer at various Universities and Colleges in England. He is the founder of the ensemble Sounds Bazaar and of East – West Music Theatre. Lives in Dorset (U.K.).
Nuria Sala Grau starts her dance training in Lausanne (Switzerland) with the Graham and Limon techniques. She continues in Paris and Lyon with classical and contemprorary dance. Back in Barcelona she becomes a member of the “Associacio de Ballarins i Coreografs Professionals de Catalunya”. In 1987 she joines the dance company “Cecil P. Booth” directed by Chantal de Launay and based in Paris. Here she meets the Indian dancer Savitri Nair from whom she starts learning Bharat – natyam. She regularly goes to the famous Kalakshetra Dance Academy in Madras for further training with Krishnaveni Lakshmanan. Kamela Rani is her music and nattuvangam teacher. Nuria lives in Milan and teaches in several Italian dance and theatre schools. She performs in India and Europe traditional Bharat – Natyam and contemporary dance as well.