Bruno Mantovani

Le sette chiese

When I composed Le Sette Chiese in 2002, this piece was the only one of its kind among my works, in numerous respects: as regards the length, the artists (a large ensemble split into four spatially separated subgroups), the time I spent composing it (more than six months, which is unusual for me), as well as the architecturally inspired structure of the work, this piece differed from the rest of my work. It was not a question of taking stock of what I had already done, or in fact of what I had the ability to do, but this broadly conceived fresco was a means to enlarge my range of expression, a kind of field of play, which should enable me to break new ground in my work. Of the abrupt confrontation of contradictory elements or references to various types of folk music which have been characteristic of my musical language, here there is practically nothing left. On the contrary - here the gaze turned inwards, and sobriety and economical use of material are the order of the day. The 'Seven Churches' complex in Bologna served as my inspiration - an architectonic ensemble unique in its style. The first elements were built in the seventh century, the last sections added during the Renaissance. The complex of buildings is made up, in the truest sense of the words, of units interlinked with one another. The distinctive architectonic features of the ensemble, as well as its religious function, stimulated me to think about the space and its poetry. The approximately 40 minute work I composed is a confrontation between four groups: two basically symmetrical ensembles essentially follow the principle of antiphony, and then there is also a trio made up of the bulkiest instruments at the rear of the stage and six musicians seated above in a curved line. Because the space is occupied in such a way, it divides into various dimensions: conflict, progressive occupancy, focalisation, fragmentation and globalisation. These diverse principles are already a way to develop rhythm inherent to the form - in the design of the two suites, which comprise some nine contrasting movements.Part One:The Piazza Santo Stefano: Before one enters the realm of the Sette Chiese itself, I wanted to place the act of listening in a dimension rather removed from that of the religious inner contemplations which follow soon after, under the open sky. The musical material bears witness to human activity and every day sounds can be recognised, as one hears them in the forecourt of a church in Bologna.The church of San Giovanni-Battista: A notable building, comprised of a short nave and an elevated apse, which is marked off by two large paintings, which the faithful, however, can not properly discern from the nave. This inspired me to a long, ascending movement in the form of glissandi of the ensemble in quarter tone intervals and leads to a first antiphonal element.The crypt: This area which is reserved for meditation ties under the stairs which lead to the apse in the San Giovanni-Battista church. The space is furnished with numerous ornaments, pervaded with sunlight and decorated with much goldleaf. I chose a continuous movement with resonance, containing echoes of Gregorian chant and exaggerated forms, which symbolise the clarity of the ensemble.Tomb basilica (for Hervé Boutry): This basilica is the oldest nucleus of the building and was built on the remains of a paleo-Christian cross-shaped temple. It is an entirely prosaic hall, with a tower-shaped altar in the middle under which the relics of San Petronio are buried. I wanted to represent the contrast between the general gloominess of the place and the intensity of light of the relics, and linked two elements with each other: in the first section the emphasis is on contemplation (piano in antiphony, muted bass drums as a barely perceptible continuum). The other section with its virtuosity stands for the lights which illuminate the relics.Part Two:Basilica of St. Vitale and Agricola (in memory of Olivier Messiaen): ap