Songs of Blood and Fairies

Ensemble Cleantha / Samuele Telari / Matteo Manzitti

1h

Teatrostudio

CHF 10

Tue 01.12

19:00

Buy

Songs of Blood and Fairies

Ensemble Cleantha / Samuele Telari / Matteo Manzitti

1h

Teatrostudio

CHF 10

Tue 01.12

19:00

Buy

*Lieder von Blut und Feen* is a deeply moving musical narrative inspired by the life and poetry of Mariella Mehr, a Swiss writer of Yenish descent, belonging to a nomadic and marginalized people. Born in a Switzerland marked by a fear of difference, Mehr was a victim of the policies of the Kinder der Landstrasse program (1926–1972), promoted by the organization Pro Juventute, which aimed to “normalize” the Jenisch through violent and invasive assimilation policies. Mehr’s poetic work is an extraordinary testimony to this history, which constitutes a repressed chapter of contemporary Europe. The musical project aims to transform this historical and personal wound into a coherent sonic universe capable of giving voice and substance to those words, integrating contemporary languages with references to the specific cultural heritage of the Jenisch. The presence of the accordion, in fact, also takes on a symbolic role: a central instrument in the Jenisch musical tradition, it represents an element of identity that spans generations. In *Lieder von Blut und Feen*, this extraordinary instrument engages in a dialogue with electronics and voice, evoking fragments of tradition that emerge and dissolve within contemporary sonic textures. The phonetic quality of the word guides the entire compositional process, with a musical exploration of the poetic texts in both German and the Italian translation by Anna Ruchat. 

entries

Cleantha Ensemble

accordion

Samuele Telari

composer and conductor

Matteo Manzitti

A composer and conductor, he has received commissions from major institutions such as Ensemble Sentieri Selvaggi, the Turin Philharmonic Orchestra, Cameristi della Scala, the Orchestra dei Pomeriggi Musicali di Milano, Ensemble Recherche, and the Accademia Filarmonica Romana. His works have been performed by internationally renowned artists and presented in numerous concert and theatrical settings in Italy and abroad. He is the music director of the Eutopia Ensemble and the artistic director of the contemporary music festival Le Strade del Suono.  

One of the most compelling accordionists of the new generation, Samuele Telari performs regularly at major international venues and festivals, including the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Royal Danish Academy of Music, the Royal Academy of Music in London, and European festivals dedicated to the accordion. Active both as a soloist and with orchestras, he is committed to developing the contemporary repertoire through collaborations with composers and numerous world premieres. In addition to his concert activities, he collaborates with the theater and recording industries on innovative projects and productions dedicated to the contemporary accordion. 

A mixed-voice vocal ensemble composed of four musicians active in both early and contemporary repertoires, engaged in musical research and experimentation. The ensemble has performed works from the contemporary repertoire and presented world premieres for cultural institutions such as the Fondazione Palazzo Ducale and GOG in Genoa. It performs in Italy and abroad with unconventional programs, characterized by an original and interdisciplinary performative approach. 

A translator and writer, she has translated major German-language authors, including Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Paul Celan, Nelly Sachs, Victor Klemperer, Mariella Mehr, and Alexander Kluge. Alongside her work as a translator, she has produced a vast body of award-winning fiction and poetry, including the Swiss Literature Prize. She has contributed to newspapers and cultural magazines and worked with Radio della Svizzera italiana (RSI), in addition to directing the foundation dedicated to the poet Franco Beltrametti and adapting documentaries for RSI. Active in the field of education as well, she has taught at the Civica Scuola Interpreti e Traduttori in Milan and currently teaches translation, in addition to overseeing training programs for literary translators.