Luigi Nono: Prometeo – Tragedia dell'ascolto

Holland Festival, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Prometeo – Tragedia dell'ascolto (1985) is an opera by the Italian composer Luigi Nono. In nine chants the monumental, 150-minute work tells the Greek myth of Prometheus in various versions. Nono spent years working with the philosopher Massimo Cacciari to conceive this masterpiece which primarily deals with deconstructing the relationship between music and the audience. The audience is surrounded by five vocal soloists, six instrumental soloists, a twelve-voice choir, two percussionists and four instrumental groups with 13 musicians each. These are joined by two narrators, a second conductor and live electronics. Staging this elaborate work represents a massive show of strength. Three of the most renowned European institutions in this field joined forces to make this project possible: the Holland Festival, the Festival d’Automne à Paris and the Tonhalle’s Festspiele Zürich. In all three cities – alongside famous vocal soloists of the SWR Sinfonieorchester Freiburg/Baden-Baden, both ensemble recherche and Schola Heidelburg will also play and sing. Stereophonic design will come care of Nono specialist André Richard and the SWR Experimentalstudio Freiburg. This monumental performance of Prometeo will in each case form part of programs featuring further works by Luigi Nono arising between 1960 and 1989. The Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation is supporting this European co-production. 

June 19, 21 and 22, 2014
Gasometer Amsterdam, the Netherlands 

July 2, 2014
Tonhalle Zürich, Switzerland 

Fall 2014/December 2015
Freiburg, Germany 

Further Information: 
www.festival-automne.com
www.tonhalle-orchester.ch
www.hollandfestival.nl