Semaïno is specially written for Paolo Vignaroli and is part of my cycle of letters to the sounds of the world. It concerns the sound of the call to prayer of the Orthodox Church as it can be heard in Romania, for example, where it is called Toaca. It is a wooden board (sometimes metal) on which monks strike with wooden hammers as well. Their virtuosity gives rise to very enchanting polyphonies. Another name for this instrument, which has been present in Orthodox monasteries and Byzantine music since medieval times, is the sémandron or simandre, whose Greek root is semaïno, which can be translated as "to launch a signal or create a sound." It is this intention of launching a signal that interested me, while the sounds of Toaca immediately made me hear the amplified key noises of the bass flute

Semaïno

Mauricio Kagel (1931-2008)
"Rrrrrrr..." Ragtime Waltz 
Vicenza Conservatory, 2008



M. KAGEL "Ragtime Waltz"

Alexej Puschkarenko  
"Schefe" del XX sec"
Vicenza Conservatory, 2008

A. PUSCHKARENKO "Schizzi del XX sec."

Salvatore Sciarrino (1947)
VAGABONDE BLU (1998)

Semaïno

Denis Bosse

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