Fanes in Music

Musical works inspired by the Fanes are even fewer than the figurative ones. As I'm really very little competent on the subject, I strongly hope that someone can come to my help and suggest me pieces I'm unaware of. This is all what I'm able to list for now:

- Emil Petschnig composed an opera libretto for a “tyrolian festival opera” titled The Promised Time, that was staged at Innsbruck in 1928, with musics by the same Petschnig, but it was unsuccessful and was quickly dropped and forgotten. The manuscript of the libretto is still available (copy at the Ladinian Institute at San Martin de Tor);

- Peter Bridges has kindly pointed out that in 1937 the Italian musician Renzo Massarani (1898-1975) composed a ballet (or better "a mimic action in three acts and two intervals"), titled Boè, inspired to Wolff's legends. The ballet was first performed at the Donizetti Theater at Bergamo and obtained a remarkable success ("Boè", ballet by R. Massarani, on script and choreography by the composer, music director Nino Sanzogno, direction and choreography by Teresa Battaggi, scenes by Sandro Angelini {ballerinas Elide Bonaggiunta (the princess), Placida Battaggi (her mother) and Lola Bianchi (Salvan), dancers Gennaro Corbo (shepherd), Tony Corcione (prince/2nd sorcerer), Ermanno Salvarè (1st sorcerer) and Dino Cavallo (3rd sorcerer)]. The work fell later into disgrace in accordance with its composer's mocking and tragic destiny. A convinced fascist, he initially was highly appreciated both by the regime and by critics. However.. he was a jew: when racial laws were promulgated, he was compelled to escape to Brasil, where he repudiated his own music and died after having fallen into oblivion.

- Amelia Cuni, a musicist, singer and dancer who studied in India, performed in 2002 at Malga Costa Val Sella and Riva del Garda a musical in nine scenes, titled "Dolasilla's Dream", on original verses in Ladinian by Stefano Dell'Antonio.

- Also in 2002, the Tanzsommers from Innsbruck and the Stiftung Stadttheater by Bolzano have staged, for the Bolzano-dance Festival, Dolomytica, a ballet show ispired by several Ladinian legends, including the Fanes' saga. The original music was composed by Joao de Bruco and Roderik Vanderstraeten, choreographers were Jean Christophe Blavier and Chiara Tanesini.

- Recently, in connection with the realization of the movie "Le Rëgn de Fanes", its co-authoress Susy Rottonara has composed all original musical pieces, that are also being separately distributed as a CD. Upon the movie music a prized international award has recently been conferred at the Renderyard Film Festival. The ceremony (see photo) has taken place in London in Oct., 2007. More details in the News. In April, 2008 the same music was also awarded a first prize in the United States at the Garden State Film Festival (Asbury Park, New Jersey). Further details of this award can also be found in the News.

- By chance, I stepped into the Kastelruther Spatzen ("Sparrows of Castelrotto"), a german-speaking folk music group of singers who are well known and appreciated - in their circle - even outside Südtirol; their site is: http://www.kastelrutherspatzen.de). Their wide catalog includes a ballad titled "Das Lied der Fanes" (The Fanes' Song), and another "Hörst Du die Stimme der Fanes" (Do you hear the Fanes' voice?). I guess they are freely inspired at the ancient saga (there are also other titles connected with K.F. Wolff's works).

- Ms. Tarabiono brought to my attention the show performed in Regensburg by a feminine Ladinian trio (from La Valle) named the Ganes, composed by sisters Elisabeth and Marlene Schuen and by her cousin Maria Moling. They sing, in Ladinian, songs inspired by the local legends, accompanying the text with Pop or Techno music and Soul sounds. Until now they published two CDs; their site can be found here.

- "Encresciadùm" (translate more or less as "nostalgia") is the title of an album that couples the usage of the Ladinian language and texts inspired by the Fassa legends with Brazilian and Jazz music, in a peculiar mix of ancient and modern that "opens up unexplored territories to the creativity of composer Roberto Soggetti". It was recorded at the Cat Sound Studio of Badia Polesine, with the contribution of the best Italian performers of Jazz music, like Silvia Donati (voice), Pietro Tonolo (sax), Roberto Rossi (trombone), Paolo Trettel (trumpet), with Roberto Soggetti himself on piano, Marco Privato on double-bass and Enrico Tommasini on drums. Fabio Chiocchetti's name (he authors the text) is a warranty in itself. You can find a few passages on YouTube here and here.

The show "Fanes - the musical Poem of the Dolomites", written by Roland Werra with original music by Susy Rottonara, set up in September, 2011 at the Municipal Theater of Bolzano with the Orchestra Filarmonica Italiana, recorded and broadcast by the Ladinian RAI, directed by Alessandro Dapunt, has been awarded the first prize in in the category "music production" at the International Festival “Women and Minorities in Media Festival" organized by the Towson University in Maryland (USA).
For the list of the winners, see wammtu.com, and for details of the show see fanesfiction.com.

The album "Dreaming of Fanes" - original music, soprano: Susy Rottonara, completely sung in Ladinian, has been included into the category "Best albun of the year" at the 53th Grammy Awards. See details on the site:
www.susyrottonara.com.

- In february, 2013 the Mart, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and Rovereto, helped by the Autonomous Province of Bolzano and cooperated by the Associazione culturale Fanes, proposed an encounter with Ladinian contemporary art and with the thousand-year old traditions of the Dolomites. The music and voice of soprano Susy Rottonara, the narration by Roland Verra and the paintings and sculptures by Rott (Lois Rottonara) introduced the audience into the magic and charming world of the Ladinian legends.

- The musical poem Fanes, see above, has been selected among the ten winners of the contest for ideas and projects for the candidacy of Bolzano with Venice and the Italian Northeast to European Cultural Capital for year 2019 (see photo on the site of the Associazione Fanes).