Neil Leonard
Casino degli Angeli
06.11.2023
Neil Leonard
Casino degli Angeli
06.11.2023
Neil Leonard, Casino degli Angeli
To participate, please send an email to: info.studioconcreto@gmail.com
Admission with limited seats
Performance starts at 6:30 PM
The Casino degli Angeli is a building characterized by remarkable construction expertise, consisting of a first floor with octagonal frescoes, a balcony with balustrades, and a scenic double staircase. Built in the second half of the 18th century during a flourishing period of agricultural culture in the lower Salento region, the Casino degli Angeli bears witness to progressive changes in the surrounding landscape – from the agricultural reconversion of the 18th century to the emergence of a more recent industrial/commercial area – from which it emerges with the same preciousness as a fossil.
In keeping with the research that links performative practices to the hidden potential of specific architectures, studioconcreto has invited interdisciplinary artist, saxophonist, and composer Neil Leonard to create a site-specific sound piece.
Leonard’s composition originates from the study of Turandot, Giacomo Puccini’s unfinished opera, and revisits the musical dialogue between the East and the West, in the early 20th century, when Puccini changed the sound of European opera by incorporating Asian themes and harmonies.
The composition harmonizes with the circular form of the architecture and becomes part of a lyrical installation that embraces the audience, where the archaic structure molds new forms of perception. A fragment of a Chinese folksong used in Turandot was extracted and expanded over time and is performed by five lyrical singers whose voices form an expanded sound environment.
Curated by studioconcreto
performers: Siyin Wang, Yu Zhang, Yue Tian, Xiao Chen, Nanjin Kong
assistant producer and audio specialist: Mauro Diciocia
special thanks to Cazzato – Carratta family and Eresie Pellegrine (instagram.com/eresiepellegrine)
realized with the sponsorship of the Conservatory of Lecce and the Municipality of Presicce-Acquarica.
ph credits: Corrado Cazzato, Casino degli Angeli relief, facade and floor plan.
realized with the contribute “Fondo per il finanziamento di progetti e attività di interesse generale nel Terzo Settore (artt. 72 e 73 n. D.Lgs. n. 117/2017)-Avviso PugliaCapitaleSociale 3.0”