Works
Giorgio Battistelli
Orazi e Curiazi (1996)
for 2 Percussionists
The composition narrates one of the most fascinating myths in the history of ancient Rome.
A myth which has had a tremendous influence on the image of Italy: the duel between the Horatii (one of the leading Roman families when Rome was still little more than a village, soon after its foundation, and champions of that city) and the Curiatii (champions of the nearby rival city of Albalonga).
By the use of concrete and metaphysical sounds, their bodies and voices, the timbre and rhythm of the percussion, the two performers create a theatrical drama based on fantasy. The world premiere of "Orazi e Curiazi" was given at Beijing in October 1996 by Antonio Caggiano and Gianluca Ruggeri.
The score develops along the lines of a narration, with concrete and metaphysical sounds, of one of the legends which has more than any other enriched our imagination: the fight between the Horatii and the Curiatii.
It is a duel where the body and the voice of the two performers, the timbre and the rhythm of the percussion instruments become elements of a fanciful dramaturgy.
Instrumentation (identical for each percussionist):
- 4 tom-toms
- 2 bongos
- 1 large wood block
- 1 tam-tam
- 1 suspended cymbals
- 1 sandblock
- set of various metallic instruments