IT WAS A BIG BLUE SKY,
A FEW WISPY CLOUDS,
AND GOLDEN SUNSHINE WAS COMING.
THE GOD OF AETHER WAS STANDING ON A
ROCK PREPARING FOR A LEAP INTO THE
SEA, BUT SUDDENLY A MERMAID APPEARED IN
FRONT OF HIM, WHO WAS THE GODDESS OF
THE UNDERWATER WORLD AND WIND SONG.
BOTH WAS DELIGHTED BY THEIR APPEARANCE,
SO HE ASKED HER:
M:
OH, YOU HAVE SO BEAUTIFUL FIN.
WHAT’S YOUR NAME?
J:
MY NAME IS JULIJA CATTELAN.
I AM A GODDESS OF UNDERWATER WORLD AND
WIND SONG.
MY MOTHER IS SEA-NYMPH VENILIA AND MY
FATHER IS JANUS, GOD OF BEGINNINGS.
AND YOU?
M:
OH, I LIKE YOUR GODLINESS AND YOUR
SURNAME.
J:
WHAT’S YOUR NAME?
M:
MY NAME IS MAURIZIO CASTELLUCCI.
I AM GOD OF ETHER.
J:
OH, IT’S YOU.
MY SONG SPRINGS UP FROM YOU
YOU SPREAD MY SONG.
M:
YES. IT’S ME.
…AND FROM THAT MOMENT TIME BECAME ELASTIC.
J:
BUT MY SURNAME SUITS MORE WITH YOUR
GODLINESS.
M:
YES, IT’S TRUE.
I WOULD LOVE TO TAKE YOUR SURNAME.
J:
BUT YOU SHOULD MARRY ME.
M:
I WILL. LET’S FIND THE PRIEST WHO WILL
MARRY US.
J:
BUT WE DON’T NEED NO THE PRIEST, WE ARE
THE GODS.
M:
OH YES, I FORGOT THAT, BECAUSE YOUR GAZE
COMPLETELY TAKE ALL MY KNOWLEDGE AWAY, SO
YOU SHOULD TEACH ME ALL OVER AGAIN.
J:
OH, BUT I DIDN’T CAME TO TEACH YOU,
I CAME TO LOVE YOU,
AND LOVE WILL TEACH YOU.
…AND THEY LIVED JOYFULLY
TILL THE END OF ETERNITY.
note:
Sonic fairy tale H Y D R A inspired by ecstatic event happened
on the Greek island of Hydra in June, 2024, based on the poetry
of Julija Castellucci and Claudio Monteverdi’s Lamento della Ninfa
that comes from eighth book, part II arrangement for soprano
and chamber orchestra: |SV 163: II. Amor, amor|based on
libretto of Italian poet and librettist Ottavio Rinuccini.
Completed in 1638, Monteverdi’s nine books of madrigals and
three operas are among the few parts of his work of his not lost
permanently over the centuries, as a key figure in the transition
from the Renaissance to Baroque periods, Monteverdi’s works
was influential in developing opera as a music form, secular and
sacred, in that sense this sonic fairy tale is the birth of a new
direction we could call it Baroque’n’Roll.
*Arrangement: sound landscape, storytelling, vocal, mix and
audio post production edited by Julija Castellucci.