Un milione di scale
a musical meditation inspired by Eugenio Montale and dedicated to Clotilde van Dieren
The void at every step: reality beyond appearance
three versions for voice and oboe, voice and cello or voice and string quartet
Genesis: Absence and the Gesture
This project was conceived as a musical meditation dedicated to mezzo-soprano Clotilde van Dieren, inspired by the verses of Eugenio Montale from Xenia II. At the heart of this research is not only the poetic word, but the physical and metaphysical gesture within the famous opening: "I have descended, giving you my arm, at least a million stairs."
The composition explores the theme of the void that opens at every step, transforming the sense of loss into a sonic texture where the voice becomes the only "true pupil" capable of discerning reality beyond appearance.
Architecture: Modularity and Instrumental Color
To reflect the intimacy and versatility of Montale’s vision, I designed the piece in three distinct versions, each offering a different timbral refraction of the text.
From the essential, almost ancestral dialogue between voice and oboe, to the textured depth of voice and cello, and finally to the dramatic density of the voice and string quartet version.
This modularity is not merely technical; it reflects a desire to inhabit the sonic space with varying weights and transparencies, following the shifting nature of memory.
The Score: Between Stillness and Uncertainty
The aesthetic of the score moves within a dimension of suspension, marked by the instruction "Calmo, lontano" (Calm, distant).
The writing seeks a balance between formal rigor and emotional hesitation. Whether through the oboe, cello, or string quartet, the lines are drawn with uncertainty, almost mimicking the footsteps of one descending stairs in the dark.
The sound is stripped of all ornament to become an interior vision, translating into music that "reality which is seen" only when eyes, though dimmed, are guided by the bond of a shared life.
