Search - Nono, Arditti String :: Lontananza Nostalgica Utopica Futura

An intricate inner life of musical texture

Albrecht Moritz | Salem, MA United States | 06/03/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"La lontananza nostalgica utopica futura (1988-89) is for 8-track tape mostly containing diverse pre-recorded and manipulated violin sounds (played by Arditti, manipulated by Nono), and a solo violin part. The solo violin interacts with the tape, yet to a certain extent it is up to the discretion of the performer at which moments the solo violin involves in an interaction with the tape. The violin sounds from the tape often sound as if coming from another world, due to their electronic manipulation.The music is for a large part very or quite soft (not surprising for late Nono), and the CD booklet suggests that this is among the most radical extensions by Nono of what began with the string quartet "Stille - An Diotima" from 1980. The quietness though is often deceiving: there are quite a few rather quiet passages that are actually loudly played but reproduced on a soft level. Even though the music often is quiet (yet see above) it is mostly extremely dense: the diverse layers on the tape collaborate in a very complex manner to give a total texture that has a very intricate inner life (also due to the manipulations of sound) - and a fascinating one at that! This is among the most extreme examples of textural music - the processes in the music almost may be experienced as changes *within* one *single* sound or soundscape - like also in some late Stockhausen, for example the Electronic Music from Friday from Light or the Helicopter-string quartet (even though a lot of other late Stockhausen is not like that).Weirdly enough, this often quiet music that others may superficially find "boring" can give you, because of its riveting inner complexity that is so immensely captivating, an incredible adrenaline rush of excitement that makes you just want to listen over and over again. This is a fantastic masterpiece of extraordinary inner passion, artistic weight and importance, created with apparently sublime confidence and authority. And imagination! Recommended in the strongest terms.Your stereo better should be very good to allow to hear into all the inner nuances. Because of the huge dynamic range of the music I recommend setting the listening level quite loud, such that the loudest passages (of the solo violin) are very present but just not to an annoying extent, and on the lower end the very quiet passages are still very quiet."