“The Nothingness Factory”
MEN AT WORK – Second Edition
Instrumental Music in Concert
PUCCINI THEATER – Season 2011/2012
February 22, 2012 FLORENCE, ITALY

The Nothingness Factory Concert
Massimo Buffetti, piano
Stefano Agostini, Flutes
Carlo Failli, Clarinets
Luca Guidi, Guitar

ABOUT NOTHINGNESS
“If the nothingness is beyond the human being – according to Plotino – on the opposite nothingness is the foundation of it, the not being is the foundation of being and therefore it converts being into freedom.” [From CD Introduction] Nothingness can represent an origin point or it can also appear like a place where you can arrive, or furthermore, it can simply represent a transition moment. To ponder nothingness is precisely that which, according to the metaphysical tradition, shouldn’t be attempted, because it can’t be done. “To reason about nothingness means to fall into contradiction, that is, to think about something (giving it existence) that doesn’t exist…”, as certain important thinkers of the past have reminded us.
So musicians try to listen, to listen at themselves, they try to imagine and they try to imagine themselves. They allow themselves ex-temporizing ideas and they don’t mind playing through jazzy formal and stylistic rules; these four musicians carry out a research around the tone colors which is somehow an electronic result of a previous research they have achieved in the musical studio and managed as a live. The research that each musician leads on his own is due to be shared as a dialogue among the other musicians on the stage, finally addressing the spectators.

ABOUT THE FACTORY
The factory, which is a kind of shrine for the working and productive world, has suddenly become the theater for the phenomenon that symbolizes “faber”–to collapse into itself, emphasizing the sense of malaise and crisis now an integral part of our times. The musicians research move into this vital place with harmonious encounters and ‘work in progress’ from these four musicians and their classic instruments goes on. The research of new sonorities is carried on in a simple contest due to the essential stage set created for the performance: videos, screens, images, steel, lights, shadows go with music, electronic sounds and Music Theater elements. Some improvisation elements can brake the originally composition structures.

From The Nothingness Factory CD RAI Publishing
The musicians “…..build a strong musical piece (CD), where often the empty width can be breathed, that is the empty width of a factory emptied out from its real function that is a place where life should exist,where something is built, made in order to live and to stay better, while so often, today it becomes a nothingness place where people are not satisfied, not happy… So the real meaning of this important and symbolic place must be researched again. The aim is to try to re-build, through the research of new sounds and sonority and thanks to the musicians work instruments, something that can create, and translate their freedom idea. Combination between Factory and Nothingness seems to be bold, but all those things that may seem empty, can easily contain fulfillment meaning as well…” Riccardo Santangelo, Amadeus magazine, November 2011.

THE ARTISTS

Massimo Buffetti
Studied with Carlo Prosperi and Roberto Becheri attending several stages with famous composers such as G.Grisey, B. Cavanna, E. Morricone. He started as piano player, mostly in modern jazz, rock and ethnic area. On 1989 he is at Olympia in Paris with Jean Paul Poletti and between 1988 and 1992 he is piano player in ‘Boxe’ and ‘Anni Luce’ CD’s published by Diaframma. As composer on 1993 he works for the Mostra di Industrial Design Idee in Forma -Florence, Marino Marini Museum. For the film that follows, he obtains, as music writer, the Diplome d’Honneur given by ACIERS, Art et Culture dans l’Industrie Et la Recherche Scientifique, July 1995. His reading- concert “Score for The Little Prince” inspired by the famous masterpiece by A. de Saint-Exupéry, first performed with AUTORIVARI in Florence, Piccolo del Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, 14 January 2003, and obtained first prize, in the Composition International Prize “The Musical Fable” among the 12th International Competition “Città di Barletta”, 2002. Further he obtained the second prize at the ‘8th Concorso di Esecuzione musicale’ ‘Città di Barletta’ European Edition, for the composition Le scelte di ‘re’ Lear, quintet for Fl. Cl. Vl. Vlc and Pf,(first performed in Ferrara, Italy,’Casa Cini’, May, 20, 1996, and in New York, N.Y. University, October, 14, 2002), the 2nd prize at the 8th International Music Competition Vittoria Caffa Righetti for the Quartet Incanti, for harp, sopr sax., Vl. e Vlc, (first performed in Ferrara, Sala Concerti Circolo Frescobaldi, May, 15, 1999), and 3rd Prize at the 11°edition of the same Competition for the String Quartet II cerchio magico first in Italia, performed in Prato at the Emperor’s Castle, September 20, 2000 and first in Germany performed in Hamburg at R. Steiner Haus, November 9, 2001. On 2005 Massimo wrote ‘1 & 0 Seagull’ inspired on text extracts by R. Bach ‘Jonathan Livingston Seagull’. The work was first performed in Florence, Villa del Poggio Imperiale, on 2005 with Franco Di Francescantonio as reciter, and Autorivari Ensemble, and performed again, with a new release, on 2010, Florence, Puccini Theatre. On 2006 his Cd ‘Leggiero’ is published by Rai Trade, with Spring Art Development. On 2008 he writes’ Hanno detto’, Chamber Opera on Marco Vichi text, first performed in Florence, Puccini Theatre and published on Cd by Spring Art Developemt on 2010, with Autorivari Ensemble. He wrote among 70 works in chamber and symphonic field as well. He has recorded for Reaction Records – London, Diaframma Records-Florence, Abraxas-Florence, La Finestra Ed.-Trento, Spring Art Development, Florence, and transmitted by Rai and Antenne Deux. He is teacher in Sesto Fiorentino (Florence) Music School.

Stefano Agostini
Flute player, he attended high course of flute hold by Conrad Klemm in Winterthur (CH) Conservatory, where he obtains Solistendiplom (1993). He was first flute in ‘Orchestra Giovanile Italiana’ and in several others Lyric and Symphonic Orchestras.His concert activity is done with different Chamber ensembles in Italy and abroad. He has been guest in Festivals such as ‘Biennale di Venezia’, ‘Alternative Lirique di Parigi’, ‘Festival Grec di Barcellona’, ‘Temporada Alta di Girona’, ‘Bologna Festival ‘, ‘GOG ‘di Genova’, ‘Promenade Lirique di Tourcoing, ‘Festival Campo de Jordao’ in Brazil. He is interested in Contemporary music, in improvisation and in relationship between music and different artistic ways of expression. He cooperated for several years with well know italian actor Franco di Francescantonio and with ‘Occupazioni Farsesche’ ensemble, dirette by Riccardo Sottili. The performance ‘Recitarcanzoni’, in which he wrote music arrangements and played flutes, obtained special Prize in IV International Festival in San Pietroburgo Monoki Theatre. He cooperates with “L’Ensemble” dance ensemble directed by Micha van Hoecke. He recently published the CD Vox Aquae with Spring Art Development with original music for flute and percussions. Since 1977 he is flute Professor in ‘Instituto Musicale P. Mascagni’ in Leghorn (Italy), and since 2006 he became Director of Mascagni Conservatory.

Carlo Failli
Clarinet player, on 1982 he wins OGI-Young Italian Orchestra prize and two years after, on 1984, he obtains high degree with best grades. Then he studied at Biella Music International Academy with Antony Pay and at Lubec Musikhochschule, with Sabine Meyer. He played at first clarinet with the Philarmonic Orchestra of Milan at Scala Theater, in Venice Theater Orchestra, in Malher Chamber Orchestra, in Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra, in “J. Haydn” Trento an Bolzano Orchestra, in Filarmonica Veneta Orchestra, with conductors such as Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti, Giuseppe Sinopoli, Myung-Whun Chung, Lorin Maazel. He did tours in Austria, France, Spain, Poland, Turkey, China, Japan, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, United States. On 1997 he won Third prize in “Carl Nielsen International Clarinet Competition”, Odense, Denmark. For more than ten years he was fist clarinet in the ORT, Tuscany Orchestra. He teaches Clarinet in “P. Mascagni” Conservatory, Leghorn. He is solo player in many chamber ensembles, playing in Italy and abroad: England, Scotland, Denmark, Germany, Greece. On 1999 he created “Clarinetwork”, scene work on solo clarinet ‘900 music. He teaches clarinet at “P. Mascagni” Conservatory in Leghorn.

Luca Guidi
Luca began gui”dies with Maestro Nuccio d’Angelo on “Pietro Mascagni Music Institute”, in Leghorn, where he graduated Magna cum laude. Then he attended high course with Maestri Alberto Ponce and Oscar Ghiglia. He is composer as well and he likes to play classic music, jazz and rock music as well. He cooperates with Rock band and Jazz Blues musicians such as Novadeaf and Bettablues Society. He is part of ‘ 24 Corde Ensemble’, classic guitar quartet, that won ‘Monte dei Paschi di Siena’ award during Chigiana Academy in 2007. He teaches guitar in “L’Accademia della Chitarra Stefano Tamburini” – in Pontedera PISA and in “La Filarmonica Puccini” in Cascina PISA.

Sound spatialization and sound project by Roberto Nigro, set design by Tiziana Draghi, lights by Laura de Bernardis. Visuals Alessandro Anichini and Giovanni De Stefano in cooperation with Gianmarco D’Agostino.