Giacinto Scelsi

Musician

Forlisteners of contemporary classical, experimental music, students of microtonality and 20th-century avant-garde
2 Reviews 0 Definitions 2 Charts

The Profile

Giacinto Scelsi (1905–1988) was an Italian composer noted for explorations of single tones, microtonal variation and mystical, ritual-inflected sonorities in mid-20th-century avant-garde music.

Scelsi is known for compositions that focus on deep exploration of single pitches and microtonal fluctuation, for unusual instrumentation (including use of ondes Martenot and large percussion forces), and for an aesthetic influenced by Eastern mysticism. He has been described as an aristocrat and a solitary, singular figure in 20th-century Italian music.

Two DeBaser reviews highlight Scelsi's fascination with microtonal variation and single-note processes. Reviewers describe his music as mystical, ascetic and tactile, often evoking sea, desert and ritual. Notable recordings discussed include Natura Renovatur and Quattro pezzi per orchestra / Anahit / Uaxuctum. The coverage emphasizes unusual ensembles, vocal/choral textures and ondes Martenot in his orchestral palette.

Notable Quotes

❝ Like the breath of the sleeping.

❝ If ever the expression "cult" had a meaning, this is the right opportunity to use it in regard to this composer overlooked for many years (and decades) in Italy, whose name emerged little by little, especially abroad.