11 “Giacinto Scelsi c’est moi!” Franco Sciammameo “The tinction been he ovate and he publ ras, eo fom ‘the poi of pray rather a ay pote, eu te ‘ic dence hing hats be shoo ond ig hes [hier Oy the meer ae 5 been apt ste, as scone how rh and mail the hier can be under co ons of intimacy. Hannah Arent! In this book's opening esay, chard Howells argues that works of 4a are not inherently contovesal. He yes: “What We see at WOU is more peal » power dynamic being played out by interested [asin The at woe lr unliy—and romeames ony—the ely” [concur with Hovelrasesment in the ese of musical contover ss Indeed, hey are provoked bythe iner-working forces of interes soups. Tak, for example the dabolu in musica (Oe dei in mie) fontoversy Ie plunged meclers) muse tears into 3 vortex tht Involved Sranisn, Catholic, andthe menace of excommunication, ‘Why, though? The intereal (pace) betreen four nots, ay Mat and ‘Anata, as led by thre ascending in pied) whe tones, OF Sep, ‘hat formed “atone. it seem that in the Middle Ages the eel of ‘emotion tnggered bythe sound of such s "Sean" Dap wa assamed 20 “Simulate inthe perfomeriener a how of across, unto fetngs. ‘Thaefore, the we of the tone, known as labols bt musi, Became sly controversial if not ought forbidden Another musial conuovesy occured in Pals between 17S2 and 1784, waleh became known as La Quel etre des Bours. The _eafons uff bulocos wee allan comic actors whe on? August 1732, sok Pars by stonm with 2 peromance of Giovan Bata ane lamamss 283 Poroles's La sere pains at the Académie Royale de Musique. Poyolests te opera, actualy an interme performed beoreen the ats of» dramatic opera, showeased two singers (male and female) nd 8 male mime. What wae controversal sbout tls delight pase (of conmedia deltarte with song and dance, one may ask? The answer ‘8 nothing except thatthe uf buf! deprecatory form) were Slngustacors wh came for Naples, thas viewed bythe Paran a ‘ocrsy a foreigners with no “ight to trespass on the sage ofthe ocously French Académie Royale de Musigue. The puble, ough, ‘ren ld over te Iain comics and their lghtheate operas, Even some Iberl member ofthe Engi, headed by Dens Diderot and JeanfacquesRouseas, dared to praise the alan opera uf, comparing two the oop lrg a French ssc national casure promod Jean Phppe Rameau? {loses t0 our me, the premitce of Le Same dx Printemps (acs, 12913) pesformance by Serge: Diaghiers Bales Rates ih mst Igor Stratis, ignited the nose contovey in msc story whe ramming music modernism into he twentieth century. Stvinsy’s importance lay tr the eonimtion of his inate sense ‘of musica theater and the potential of his idea idiom based on ‘oastant maladie and thymic vanton, end onthe superimposition ‘of thythns, hamonies and tonalite. The famous “Petula chord” ‘with ts tonal eombinaton af C-major and Fsharp-najer wiads—an Instance deuvatve of the dala n msi kone could st the same ‘imesccommadets folksong nd dance ements Indes thes fees ‘constituted the musta premises of Le Sace du Pitas, the score that represents the peak of Suavinshy ull ealboration with Daghe's Ballets Russ, and one of the most consequential ana revaletonsry ‘compositions ofthe tenets century The Pasian premlete of Le Sart “Pinang not only provokes» mach tal bo aot tht rocked ‘the test's audience, but alo ushered in the concept of medemity In musi creativity. Tals cenvty was drenched ia the combust tension Set up Denveen a simple and onsesive malos and an extremely com: placehythmic and heroic tere, all embeded in an ovenBlming ‘Epes of dynamic and persive sound. Consequently an cont ‘emily the svont-gade hale Suvineky a the prophet of 2 ne ‘esthetic and the conservatives regarded him asa bloodybatbarsn. “Te controversial elements inking these thee cases can be found in {te politiiation of eluraleptl presenti the tree insaness ater than in something inherend}y contovesal embedded in the musical, strucues and meanings ofthe works involved. fetes, acl br266 The Pat and Fa of Ar Contes masca mounted toa scare tactic adopted to discourage any form of on: ‘option menacing te inept of the old monastic orser cables by ‘medieval Catholiis* La Qual etre de Bowie as 3 at wand {upting among Parsi intlectis who favored the supremacy ofthe French language spoken onthe tage of French theaters. Therelore, the ‘objected allan comic enteraines viewed as invading hordes were ratcally caught in the middle of the dispute nally, Soavinsh’s masterpiece, says contoveral a multiple grounds had the power to redaoe to ples amy type of focal te Romantics had achieve though their own dlropion af the asi lore. Ths Sacre Prion lasted the muse weld wit 8 ate fone fore that rehashed the perennially new-ters-oé poem sl, fet today—wen attic eas pass a controversial for tention sake athe than for ee nnovative quate. T cso Sees, the musical contoversy I reew in this es, shook ‘he compartmentally see maa! fein Rome between 1964 and 1988. Iespacke a debate mat, at ist served to remind thor inwared, inva ing tis water, about the fat of thelr gor and the vacuity of tir ‘heton. Second, It posted important questions regarding the presers ‘on of improvisation” as an artform andthe attibution of axthonsip In art works generated by more than ane ast. “The Seats case Jn the 1950s, rumors penenated Roman musical cretes that Count Giacinto Ses Ayal Valea (1908-88) had aequized a "Negro to ismosi ‘rom the Caesars to the Borgia, fom I! Duce’ imperial ambitions to 1 dle vita 35 social commentary, ancient and modem Romans had ‘uit tolerance fr scandals and contoversas othe pont of cevlop- Ing an anddot (speak as « Roman cise) siming Yo Gea anything ‘hut coule remotely atacs thir perfected a7 of not ving 2H eter ‘non as mensions Therefore, the notion thts wealthy snitoeat ‘shed tobe apprecaed a 3 composer through the paid sic of 8 ied and was ielevant to them. orover far as eferng to those people as "Nap" for modern Romans aot familar with port