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FABIO
GRASSO: COMPOSITIONS
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1) SOLO
PIANO PIECES
·
Microforme, 1992, 4-5’ 1st perform.: Berlin
Philharmonie, 1/8/1993, F. Grasso. 4 aphoristic pieces
·
Suite, 1995, 11’ 1st perform.: 29/2/1996,
Orléans, Salle de l'Institut. Other perform. 30/5/1996, Paris, Salle Gaveau. F. Grasso. In 7
mov.: Monadi, Contrappunto I, Monodia, Contrappunto II, Intermezzo,
Contrappunto III, Les derniers soupirs de Delphes.
·
Trois images d'après Verlaine, 1998, 9’ 1st perform. 24/5/1998, Nice,
Salle West End, Fabio Grasso. In 3 mov.: Croquis parisien, Cauchemar, Nénuphars
(from 3 poems by Verlaine).
·
La danza segreta
di Maeve, 1999, 7’ 1st
perform. 19/3/2000, Montpellier, Le Corum, F. Grasso. Other perform. 12/7/2000,
Colmar Festival Benedetti Michelangeli, F. Grasso. Inspired by some verses of Yeats’ “Countess Cathleen”.
Maeve – Irish name of Mab, the shakespearian fairy queen – is the “queen of the
invisible host”, which during the full-moon nights breaks off her ritual dance
to cry in loneliness a mysterious love, lost and forgotten.
·
Der frommen
Kindheit stille Blumenzeiten, 2001, 6’ for piano and digital
support. 1st perform. 12/6/2001, Vercelli, Museo Borgogna, Fabio Grasso.
Inspired by a verse drawn from the cycle of spiritual poems Jugendandacht by
Eichendorff, in which the vision of spring colours and blue skies recalls the
memory of the elapsed childhood, happy and unrepeatable age.
·
Preludio
e Quasi Fuga sul nome B.A.C.H., 2003, 6’
·
Fantasia
Veni Creator Spiritus, 2003, 24’ Polyptych in 9 not
separated episodes: Preludio, Corale, Trenodia, Improvviso, Toccata,
"Fuga", Trenodia eolica, Corale tras-figurato, Postludio. The
conception of this virtuoso piece has been inspired by the philosophical and
theological meanings of the greek word "pneuma" (= Spirit, breath,
wind). Each episode has a subtitle or a non-musical motto (biblical or
literary), that refer to this theme. Many materials derive from the elaboration
of fragments of the Gregorian hymn Veni Creator Spiritus.
·
Les alcyons de Corinthe,
2004/2007, 6’
1st perf. Vercelli, Sala Dugentesca, National Convention of the Classical
Culture Italian Society, 22/4/2007. The title derives from an hellenistic
epigramme, in which the sad flight of the alcyons over the Greek sea seems to
cry the ancient lost freedom.
·
Berceuse
méridienne, 2004, 6’
1st perform.: 19/6/2004, Lieu d'Art Contemporain de Sigean, F. Grasso. This
piece with strong harmonic connotation (the interval of fifth is clearly
predominant), owes its title to a poem by Lamartine, inspired by a
mediterranean landscape (Ischia, from Nouvelles méditations poétiques).
·
Blumentraum,
2006, 6’, also
for piano, fl, vn, cello. 1st perform. for solo piano: 1/7/2006, German-Italian
Cultural Association, Palazzo Albrizzi, Venice, F. Grasso. Homage to Jean Paul’s Blumenstücke (1795-96) and to the
related Schumann cycle op. 19.
·
Étude-Impromptu Hommage à Ligeti, 2007, 5’.
Various performance by
Letizia Michielon, see the page programmes
with letizia michielon
·
Pergamons Stele, 2010,
1st performance Berlin BKA, 8/6/2010, Letizia Michielon, piano.
2)
PIANO 4 HANDS
·
And never found thy likeness, 2007,
5’ First Performance: Vercelli, Museo Borgogna, 22/2/2008, Fabio Grasso and Letizia
Michielon. Title from a Byron’s verse. Dream-route recalling fragments by
Beethoven, Schumann, Chopin.
·
Suspend
ton vol, 2008, 4’. 1st perform.: 5/12/2008, Venezia, Ateneo Veneto, Fabio
Grasso and Letizia Michielon. Title from a verse of Lamartine.
Subtitle: hommage à Chopin
·
Berliner Diptychon, 2009-2010, 7’. In 2
movements, Prolog – Diptychon A. 1st perform. as Diptychon A: 6/12/2009,
Venezia, Sale Apollinee del Teatro La Fenice; 1st perform. of the whole piece:
8/6/2010, Berlin, BKA. Fabio Grasso and Letizia Michielon.
3) TWO
PIANOS
·
Der gefesselte
Strom,
2004-2005, 14’ Some performances: Piacenza, Sala del
Conservatorio, 19/11/2006, Vercelli, Teatro Civico, 23/11/2006, Fabio Grasso
and Antonio Tarallo. “The fettered stream” is the title of an
Hölderlin’s poem, which evokes the cycle of a stream and contemplates its
overflowing vital energy and the life-giving spirit which animates it, in spite
of the fetters of its repetitive route. In the piece the idea of a cyclic flow
with ecer-changing nuances is realized through the aggregation and the
disgregation of continuous figurations, that are alternated and superimposed in
aleatory manner.
·
Trois valses oniriques, 2006, 7’.
1st perform.: 19/11/2006, Piacenza, Sala del Conservatorio, F. Grasso and A.
Tarallo. Three short pieces permeated by thrills of
waltz-rhythms, with veiled reminiscences of Chopin, Berlioz, Ravel. It can be
played also for solo piano and piano 4 hands..
4) SOLO PIECES for
other instruments
·
Clinamen, for
oboe, 1993 rev. 2003, 8’
Clinamen is a term of epicurean physics, that defines the inclination of the trajectory
of the atoms, i.e. the deviation from their standard movement. That is
musically interpreted as a series of strong variations on an originally uniform
material.
5)
CHAMBER MUSIC (instrumental, vocal-instrumental) – up to 5 players/singers
·
Quartetto,
for String Quartet, 1998, 16’
·
Encheibròmos,
for 4 Harps and Alto Flute, 2000, 12’.
Inspired by mythic tales about Athena - the title is a Pindaric epithet for
Athena, that means "with thunderlance". in 3 mov.: Echi dall'ombra della
Makrai, Lamento funebre for la Gòrgone, Epinicio.
·
Flowery
tales from Arcady, for Clarinet, Violin, Cello, Piano, 2004, 7’ This work draws its
inspiration from John Keats' Ode to a Grecian urn, where the poet's imagination
is caught by an arcadian scene so vital though in its perennial immobility.
·
Blumentraum,
version for Fl, Vn, Cello, Piano., 2005, see above Solo
Piano version.
·
Due liriche di
Mimnermo, for woman’s voice and piano,
2005, 8’.
1st perform.: 20/5/2006, Alessandria, Auditorium del Conservatorio. Lucia Lazzeri,
voice, F. Grasso, piano. Ancient greek text.
·
Synaesthesia,
3 pieces for clarinet and piano, 2007, 8’
·
Der
Sternenkuss, for string quartet and woman’s voice, 2009. 9’ 1st perform. :
20/10/2009, Venezia, Sale Apollinee del Teatro La Fenice, Ex Novo Quartet,
Livia Rado, soprano
6) CHAMBER
MUSIC (instrumental, vocal-instrmental) – more than 5 players/singers
·
La sérénade aux
tristes sourires, for Fl,
Ob, Cl, Bass Cl, Bassoon, Horn, 1 Perc, Harp, Vn, Vl, Cello, 1996, 12’ First
Prize Competition "Journées de la jeune musique" de Marseilie 1999
1st perform. 19/11/999, Marseille, Cité de la musique, Ensemble Télémaque,
·
HEX-A-GON, for Piano, Guitar, 1 Perc, Fl, Cl, Bs, Horn, Tr, Trbn,
1997, 12’
1st perf. 12/9/1998, Amsterdam Gaudeamus Music Week, De Ijsbreker, Ensemble
Télémaque.
·
Due Notturni su liriche greche, for
Soprano, Fl, Piano/Cel, Harp, 2 Vn, Vl, Cello, 2002, 11’. On Alcman's "silent
night" fragment and Sappho's "full moon" fragment, Ancient Greek
text.
·
Zur rechten Zeit, for Piano and Cello concertanti, Ob,
Clar, Horn, 1 Perc., Viola, 2006. 13’
7)
ORCHESTRA
·
Variazioni
for orchestra, 2222-222; Tp; 2 Perc; Cel; Strings div. 33332,
1992, rev.2001, 10’
·
Symphony
of the Spring Plenilune, 3333-4331; Tp; 3 Perc; Piano; Harp; Strings 88664,
1998, aleatory duration (minimum 16’).
Inspired by the prologue of a Psalm, this work experiments with a strongly
aleatory writing, which rests on the perception of the inner time and on the
multi-level flowing of the time.
·
Prière nocturne des glaciers, 2122-11;
2 Perc; Strings 86433, 2001, 10’
·
Fantasia
solipsistica,
2001, 10’
for String Orchestra 99632 (compulsory). Also
in a version for 3 Strings. Quartets.
·
Species
verna diei, 3333; 4331; Tp; 3 Perc; Harp; Strings 12-10-8-6-4 (compulsory);
Digital support ad libitum. 2002, 15’.
In 2 Mov., Finstre Himmelsferne, Frühlingsverklärung, Species verna diei (The
springlike aspect of the day) is a quotation from Lucretius' De rerum natura..
8) SOLO
INSTRUMENTS AND ORCHESTRA
·
Katoptroeidès, for
guitar
and orch. 2222-3221; Tp; 3 Perc; Cel; Harp; Strings div. 22342 1996, 18’. First
Prize Ginastera Competition 1996. 1st perform. 24/11/1997, Buenos Aires, Teatro
Colòn, Buenos Aires Philharm. cond. B. D’Astoli, guit. M. Galliano.
·
Concerto for piano and orchestra 2222-222; Tp; 2 Perc; Strings div. 32222. 2000,
25’.
·
Konzertstück, for Violin and Orch. 2222-4231-2 Perc, Cel, Harp, Strings.
12-10-8-6-4 (compulsory), 2004, 10’.
Also in a version for Violin and Piano.
9) VOICES
AND ORCHESTRA
·
The unfading threnody, for Tenor, Barytone, Basse;
Man’s recitative voice; Men’s Choir TB (min. 12×2); Women’s Choir SA (min.
12×2); 3333-4331; Tp; 3 Perc; Piano; Harp; Str. 99664 (compuls.), 1996/97,
24’
·
Koròn Epitàphia, for Soprano,
Tenor; 2222-2221; Tp; 1 Perc; Piano; Harp; Str. div. 22222, 1997, 16’. Six pieces on Greek and
German poems.
·
Dämmerungsschauer, for
Soprano; 2222-2221; Tp; 1 Perc; Cel; Harp; Str. 88654 (div. 44452), 1997, 11’. On excerpts from Novalis' III
Hymne an die Nacht.
10) THEATER
·
Hymenaeus
for Antigone (Hyperscenes of tragedy), 2001/2002, 1-Act Chamber Opera, Man’s
recitative voice, Soprano, Mezzosoprano, Alto; Chamber choir SB (monodic
parts). Fl, Ob, Cl, Bs, Tr, 2 Perc, Piano/Cel,
Harp, 2 Vn, Vl, Vc, Cb. 40’
about. Multilingual libretto by Fabio Grasso, freely drawn from Sophocles
(Antigone, Œdipus in Colonos), Euripides (Alkestis), Schiller (Kassandra).
11) TRANSCRIPTION
TWO PIANOS:
Transcription of three movements of STRAWINSKY’s PÉTROUCHKA
(Danse russe, Chez Pétrouchka, La semaine grasse).
Some performances: Piacenza (Sala del
Conservatorio), Vercelli (Teatro Civico), F. Grasso e A. Tarallo. Go to LISTEN for a mp3 excerpt.
PIANO 4 HANDS:
MENDELSSOHN, Sommernachtstraum (Midsummer Night’s
Dream) Ouverture. Performed in Venezia,
Associazione Culturale Italo-Tedesca, 13 September 2009, by Fabio Grasso and
Letizia Michielon.
12) CADENZAS to Piano Concertos: Cadenzas to the 1st and to the 3rd mov. of
the Mozart’s Piano Concerto K467 di Mozart, and to the 1st mov. of the
Beethoven’s 4th Piano Concerto (performed in Orléans, Scène Nationale, Orch.
d’Orléans, 10/12/1996).