Luca Francesconi (1956-)
Duende. The Dark notes
Rest. In memoriam Luciano Berio

Leila Josefowicz, violon
Jean-Guihen Queyras, violoncelle
Orchestra Filarmonica della Scala
Brad Lubman, direction
SWR Symphonieorchester
Sylvain Cambreling, direction

The Faustian principle describes the restlessness of the creative mind. It is the desire not only to understand the world, but to penetrate its very core. In this way we encounter Luca Francesconi: not as a practitioner of black magic, but as a musical genius. His aesthetic is shaped by a constant process of searching, listening and experimenting. Layer after layer is peeled away to reach the very physicality of naked sound. The piece Rest is dedicated to his friend and teacher Luciano Berio. It is much more than a tribute. Far from being a quotation or a paraphrase, it opens a space of memory in which a shared cultural and musical language forms a living architecture of dialogue. In Duende, the composer takes us on a journey into the demonic – not in the sense of evil, but as a primal creative force. Rising from the depths, it ignites the fire of passion without which there can be no art.