Works

(Kepler’s dream)
Chamber Opera

Libretto by Giorgio Battistelli

The story from which the libretto for Keplers Traum is based comes straight out of a science fiction novel written long before its time: Somnium, the dissertation Johannes Kepler wrote as a young man in 1609 to get into the University of Tübingen. The great scientist decided to present his academic work – which was never discussed because it was considered an abstract delirium and blatantly Copernican, clashing with the official worldview of the time – as an imaginary tale. It describes lunar geography through the voice of Duracotus who observes the earth from the moon giving details about the cosmos and listing strange beings that inhabit the natural satellite. The musical score is rich in instrumental patterns. In addition to Duracotus (baritone), the true Keplerian alter ego, the score was written with parts for the mother, Fiolxilde (soprano), astrologer and sorceress, and a demon (actor), a sort-of self proclaimed auto-biographer of the universe who accompanies the music illustrating the planetary landscape through a magical and ambiguous potion. A fourth character is portrayed by an electronic flute that produces mysterious sounds and follows the demon like a shadow.

First performance:
Linz, Brucknerhaus, 9 September 1990
Orchestra Officina Musicale Italiana
Orazio Tuccella, conductor
Moni Ovadia, Elisabeth Lang, Timothy Breeze, performers
Fabio Cirifino, sets and light
Paolo Rosa, direction 

Characters:
The Demon, actor
Fiolxhilde, ms
Duracotus, br
The Demon Shadow, wind midi controller

Instrumentation:1.-.2 (I cl picc, II cl b).1 / 1.1.1.- / 2 perc, arpa, pf / Archi (2.-.2.1.1)

Duration: 60’

Score number catalogue Ricordi: (135295)

Reduction voice-piano: (135297)