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.
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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