Franco Battiato left us on May 18, 2021, but his music continues to resonate in the celestial spheres of which he became the spokesperson through an incessant musical and philosophical research. One year after his death, Ravenna Festival pays the Sicilian composer the homage that is closest to his sensibility. This is why the Archaic Mass, an original production of the Ravenna Festival and Sagra Musicale Malatestiana, which gives life to the great project of sacred music composed for the Basilica del Santo in Assisi in 1993 and re-proposed at the Greek-Roman Theater of Catania in 2017, in the last public appearance of Battiato. To interpret this composition, which explores a spirituality that cannot be circumscribed to the religious context, the Bruno Maderna Orchestra conducted by Guido Corti and the Choir of the Siena Cathedral “Chigi Saracini” under the guidance of Lorenzo Donati. With them the voices of Juri Camisasca (who will take the place of Battiato, first interpreter of Mass) and Cristina Baggio, both close to the singer-songwriter, who loved to repeat to his friends: “I’m not a Catholic but neither a Muslim, a Buddhist, or a Hindu. I have my own spirituality, my own quest for ascesis. I am a religious man. I don’t have a parish, I don’t like labels ”. It is with this spirit that the “Mystical Songs” were born, immortal titles such as “The shadow of light”, “And I come to look for you”, “The animal”, “The cure”, which in the second part of the evening will see exceptional interpreters, all united by friendship and sharing projects with Battiato. This is the case of Carlo Guaitoli, Cristina Baggio, Simone Cristicchi (who will sing four songs by Battiato), Juri Camisasca (“The sacred symphonies of the time”) and Alice, the charismatic voice who most of all was able to interpret Battiato’s thought , ranging in an immense repertoire, from classic to pop. She will have the honor of closing the concert with “La cura”. The event is made possible by the support of Assicoop Romagna Futura and UnipolSai Assicurazioni.
In Franco Battiato’s multifaceted musical research, the arc between 1987 and 1994 can be defined as the “mystical period”. In fact, the composition of three operas (Genesis, Gilgamesh and Frederick II – The Knight of the intellect) and many songs imbued with spirituality is from these years. The beginning of this phase coincides with Battiato’s return to his Sicily, which he had left 22 years earlier to reach Milan. The apex of the mystical period is the “Archaic Mass” commissioned by the Umbrian Music Festival. «It cost me immense effort, at certain moments I felt drained», declared the composer. But in the end the work was carried out on 23 October 1993 in the Church of San Bernardino all’Aquila and repeated the following day in the Basilica Superiore del Santo in Assisi. The Mass follows the canonical subdivision of the Ordinarium (Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus and Agnus Dei) and is conceived for two solo voices, choir and orchestra. Why “archaic”? Battiato explains it: «It is the compositional path that is archaic. I wanted to restore a primal meaning to the text ». Musically, the Mass is dressed in essential and rarefied sounds. It is a composition that helps to approach the inner silence, one of the lost horizons of our times. While not reaching the dimension of “prayer”, in the so-called “mystical” songs the Sicilian musician is strongly inspired by the spiritual journey. He himself maintained that inspiration came to him from other dimensions and that therefore his role was limited to being the link between the supersensible and the earthly. Among other things, immortal compositions such as The ocean of silence (“What would I have seen of the world / without this light that illuminates / my black thoughts”), And I come to look for you (“Emancipate myself from the nightmare of passions / seek the one above Good and Evil”), Praise to the untouched (“We have been through storms / and how many ancient and harsh trials / and clear help from an invisible caress / from a keeper”) and The cure (“We will walk together the paths that lead to the Essence”).
Songwriter and icon painter, Juri Camisasca he made his debut in 1974 with The window inside, visionary album produced by Franco Battiato and Pino Massara. A few years later he decides to take vows and become a Benedictine monk, retiring to monastic life for 11 years. He leaves the monastery, temporarily, in 1987 to participate in some performances of the work Genesis by Franco Battiato, in which he is a singer and narrator. Subsequently he leaves the monastery to retire to the slopes of Etna. In 1988 he published Te Deum, electronically arranged album of sacred songs. In 1999, after years of silence, he released a new album of unreleased tracks, Arcane riddle, produced by Franco Battiato, played with Bluvertigo. In 2018, director Francesco Paolo Paladino made the docufilm Don’t look for yourself outside dedicated to his figure and his thought.
Winner of the Sanremo Festival 1981 with the song For Elisa, Alice (aka Carla Bissi) made her debut as a singer-songwriter in 1980 with North Capefrom which the single is taken The hot summer wind. One of the most eclectic and interesting voice on the Italian scene, in 1984 he played with Franco Battiato Tozeur trains. In 1985 she won the Tenco Award as best female interpreter with Stolen jewels. In Mélodie passagère (1988) sings Satie, Fauré and Ravel. In 2000 she participates again in the Sanremo Festival with Independence day from the album Personal Juke-box. In 2012 it appears Samsaraunreleased album with Born yesterday, single written for Alice by Tiziano Ferro. In 2016 she takes part in the long tour “Battiato / Alice” and in 2018 she accompanies Ron to Sanremo, duet on the piece by Lucio Dalla At least think of me.
Singer-songwriter, actor, designer and writer, Simone Cristicchi was born in Rome in 1977. Since 2005, when he presents I would like to sing like Biagio, ironic “j’accuse” to the record industry, the consensus of the public and critics opens up. In 2007 he won the Sanremo Festival with I’ll give you a rose, a moving cross-section of the microcosm of madness. He is the author of several highly successful books, such as Mental Health Center – A storyteller among the mad, released by Oscar Mondadori. He got theatrical sold out for My grandfather died in the warwhich receives the applause of the President of the Republic Giorgio Napolitano, and for Warehouse 18, attended by over 140,000 spectators. At the Sanremo Festival, in 2019, the song Take care of me received a spontaneous standing ovation and the recognition of two Critics’ Awards.
The voice of Cristina Baggio ranges in a repertoire ranging from the eighteenth century to the contemporary. In September 2021 you participated in the Franco Battiato tribute “Invitation to Travel” at the Verona Arena. She has performed in the main Italian theaters (San Carlo di Napoli, Scala di Milano, Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Fenice di Venezia) and abroad, collaborating with conductors such as Ottavio Dantone, Jeffrey Tate, Claudio Abbado, Gianandrea Noseda and directors like Pierluigi Pizzi, Daniele Abbado and Mario Martone.
Info and presales: 0544 249244 – www.ravennafestival.org
Tickets: from 12 to 35 Euros (reduced from 10 to 32 Euros), under 18 5 Euros
The appointment will be on ravennafestival.live from 4th September
For this event there is a free transport service from the railway station to the Pala and back (two rides: 8.15 pm and 8.30 pm).
They are also provided, subject to availability, last minute tickets at a reduced rate (10 Euros, 5 Euros for under 30s)which can be purchased at the venue one hour before the event.
Tribute to Franco Battiato with the archaic Mass and the mystical Songs