Giacinto Scelsi’s compositions are sonic rituals, built not on traditional harmonies but on the vibration of single tones, expanded, explored and intensified until they reveal entire universes within them. The Italian composer’s music does not progress in the classical sense; it unfolds, like a force of nature, shifting the listener’s perception of time and space. In Halle am Berghain, Scelsi’s radical string music will be performed by 24 musicians. The building itself becomes part of the music; an instrument in its own right.
Almost 40 years after his death, Giacinto Scelsi still exists mostly in the shadows. Though born in 1905 and responsible for some of the most radical sonic explorations of the 20th century, conventional histories of music continue to bypass his contributions. His works have occasionally appeared on recordings, but they are rarely heard in concert — a silence that echoes his own rejection of the spotlight.
He deliberately erased himself from the public eye, refusing interviews, withholding biographical details, and discouraging the use of his image in any context. A simple circle with a line beneath it served as his signature. He believed that music should speak for itself, unmediated by personality or fame.
This principle crystallized during a profound psychological and spiritual crisis in the 1950s, when he reportedly withdrew from society and was hospitalized. In recovery, he began a ritual of playing a single note on the piano for hours at a time. He would fixate on a single pitch and repeat it obsessively. The repetition was not just therapeutic — it became revelatory.
Influenced by Eastern philosophies, Scelsi came to see sound itself as sacred, a living entity with depth, vibration, and inner life. The three works by Scelsi featured in this program – Anagamin, Chukrum, and Natura Renovatur – each embody his radical approach to sound. They are not narratives, but sonic meditations and an intense exploration of resonance, rituals that reflect Scelsi’s belief in music as a sacred, living force.
For this edition, new work has been composed especially for Halle am Berghain by Avi Caspi, who will also conduct the program.
Orchestra members — Gregoire Simon, Shasta Ellenbogen, Elspieta, Davis West, Phoebe White, Joachim Baumerder, Camille Garin, Johanna Tüscher, Frances Patterson, Megan Jowett, Nikolaus Schlierf, Yodfat Miron, Miguel Erlich, Lillia Keyes, Isabelle Klemt, Annette Jakovcic, Christoph Croisé, Kornelia Jamborowicz, Tadashi Forck, James Banner, Hans Graeve, Franzi Aller, Saara Larisa and Armando Yague.
Orchestral Sessions: Phase One String Works by Giacinto Scelsi & Avi Caspi
Friday, 16.5.2025 | Doors/Starts 20:00 CET
Halle am Berghain | Am Wriezener Bahnhof in 10243 Berlin
