CANTU FOLIATO (2012)

Construction kit for voices (SATB, up to 20 singers)
audio-scores and written parts,
optional a-capella or with live-electronics.

Words from Anne Waldman, Iovis

Minimum duration: 7:30 minutes up to 15-20 minutes.

This is an experimental work. It offers a variety of possibilities for performance for vocal ensembles.

The title is a Latin word combination: cantus means sound, song, also chant and magic spell (magic in the antique sense of the word: something that changes, transforms an environment). The adjective foliatus means folded, having many leaves or folds, or pages, like a book, a tree – or mille-feuille pastry.

The endings cantu foliato denote the Ablative case, which expresses “by use of” of “through”. So the title could be translated to: “with folded sound”, or otherwise “through manifold song” – I like the different possibilities.

This is a sketch which is being revised and rebuilt. In May 2012 had the opportunity to conduct rehearsals, experiments and try two different performance structures with the excellent British vocal-ensemble EXAUDI. It’s a pleasure to work with such singers.

EXAUDI and Palme at Huddersfield, Photos by Aaron Cassidy

Some pages of the score which is at the moment part of the toolkit, and which was pre-recorded in Vienna in separate parts:

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