THE MUSIC OF SALVATORE SCIARRINO

Existing at the edge of what can be heard, the music of Italian composer Salvatore Sciarrino (b. 1947) is identified by whispers of sound that punctuate a canvas of silence. Often touching upon Italian medieval and Renaissance culture as an inspiration, Sciarrino distills the sounds he uses in his compositions down to their essence to create music that exists outside of the noise of daily modern life. His fragile music requires exceptional focus from its performers, stretch- ing their technique and control to extremes. One of Sciarrino’s best known works for chamber ensemble, Infinito Nero, frames the vocal out- bursts of 16th century mystic St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi with gentle and metronomic raindrops of sound. Lo Spazio Inverso for five players creates islands of sound in a sea of silence, paradoxically creating motion out of stasis. The program con- cluded with L’Altro Giardino for eight players and voice.