Siamese Whispers

Von: Mattia Bonafini, Simone Zoppellaro | 8. Juli 2020, 11:03

Starting with a reflection on proxemics applied to our onlife (both connected and disconnected) experience in the context of pandemic, we have elaborated a multilingual textual and musical texture with the contribution of thirteen friends (writers, composers, musicians, and academics), working exclusively with WhatsApp and social media.

After having prepared a first text in Italian, we have asked eight persons to freely translate it and record their versions as audio messages, creating a chain of texts stemming one from the other in different languages (Albanian, Greek, Armenian, Macedonian, German, English, Esperanto and Catalan). The method we applied, and the request of whispering all the readings, were inspired by the game called Chinese Whispers. A final text, again in Italian, was created by impulse of the different texts we have received.

An original audio sample was also forwarded to the five musicians with the request to receive a part reinterpreted by them without any limit if not of time. Once more, the interpretative scheme of the game was followed, therefore no written part and no indication beyond not exceeding 25 seconds of recording.

In the proposed composition we want to transmit a positive idea of absolute non-imposition and active participation; to give life to life, and breath to breath; to get involved without the fear of being overshadowed by the ego of others.

The beautiful voice of Gentiana Minga opens the work together with the recorder (Blockflöte). The original sound material comes from two main sources: a metal plate played with a violin bow and the melting of an ice cube. The creation of the sound gesture contains a rhythmic element (melting ice) and a melodic one (metal plate), and acts as the input for the other composers, but also as a complete musical phrase itself.

The voices have been treated so as to create a space and a constant approach to the listener.

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Voices and textual translations/interpretations:

Gentiana Minga, Simone Zoppellaro, Marion Pelakanou, Grigor Ghazaryan, Nataša Sardžoska, Sabrina Maag, Jane Woodford, Federico Gobbo, Ferran Güell, Mattia Bonafini


Music samples:

Caroline Andreas (recorder), Lina Posėčnaitė (electronics), Marion Pelakanou (electronics), Salvatore Miele (e-guitar and electronics), Nàresh Ruotolo (electronics), Mattia Bonafini (electronics and assembling)

Übersicht:
Entfernt verbunden - Simulation eines Austausches