Simone Fontanelli (1961)
EFFEPí - for Fortepiano (1998)
Duration: 10' ca
EFFEPí is a set of five different pieces.
1. CORALE IMMAGINARIO (Imaginary Choral)
The source of this piece is the beginning of the melody of the Choral ÒEs ist genugÓ, by J.S.Bach. Its first four notes (A Ð B Ð C sharp Ð D sharp) are here transposed and quoted at the end. All the material before, is derived through a continuous transformation of that element creating a sort of winding path leading to the end, which comes as a natural conclusion.
2. BORDAL (Wine Song)
Bordal is Òwine songÓ in Hungarian, even though this piece is not in the form of a song. Yet, there must be the character of that, a very special one, originated while tasting a glass of very good wine. Let us have an image in our mind, the one of a nice man, a musician, who is a true connoisseur of wine and can taste it and enthusiastically describes all its fragrance as if it were music.
3. EXCUSE ME, WHERE IS THE WAY OUT? Hommage ˆ Eugen Wšrle, architect
The character of the whole piece are already given in the first two lines, that is a gesture consisting of scales, more or less short, fragmented, interrupted. Directions have been chosen in order to give a sensation of a very frenetic motion. What comes after is like a game, played by transforming the above material. The approach is rather baroque, in the way of the Italian baroque Masters.
About the title and the spirit of this piece, we must know that Eugen Wšrle was the architect who, in 1969-1971, designed the building of the Hochschule Mozarteum in Salzburg. That building, demolished in the early 2000s, was always ÒproblematicÓ to me when I visited it, for I lost my way every time, never finding the way out. This piece recalls that experience.
4. ULLI!
This piece is strictly related to the 3rd one, since it gives the ÒsolutionÓ to that. That chaotic situation is now solved by this new piece with a ÒcarillonÓ character and with a single-chord refrain.
It is dedicate to Ulrike (Ulli) Godler, secretary at the Mozarteum, who can solve any problem you may have there.
5. Éda un angelo sulle scale (...from an angel on the stairs)
This piece was inspired by a poem by Susan Park (1926-2005).
An Angel bright sat on my stair
With sunlight streaming threw his hair
He looked at me with mild surmise
And sunlight shimmered in his eyes
He smiled and spoke. When did depart
The sunlight stayed within my heart.