THE CUNTO
By and with Mimmo Cuticchio
The syncopated rhythm of the “cunto,” of mysterious and ancient origin, punctuates the epic for solo voice that Mimmo Cuticchio, the greatest puppeteer and storyteller of our time, brings to the squares and theaters of the world.
A stomp on the platform, an imperious sword gesture received as an initiatory inheritance from Master Peppino Celano, and Cuticchio’s powerful voice summons around the chivalric adventures of Orlando and the Paladins of France, which jesters sang along the streets of Europe for centuries, weaving a colorful tapestry of images with the meager formulas of oral tradition.
A sumptuous theater of memory opens wide within the short enclosure of the “cunto,” in which “to remember” again means, according to the etymology dear to the Middle Ages, “to repatriate to the heart.”
A singolar tenzone
Duels between music and words about the paladin Orlando
Cunto: Mimmo Cuticchio
Music: Giacomo Cuticchio
First violin: Marco Badami
Second violin: Filippo Di Maggio
Viola: Massimo Cantone
Cello: Paolo Pellegrino
Soprano sax: Nicola Mogavero
Bassoon: Filippo Barracato
Trumpet: Sergio Caltagirone
Trombone: Fabio Piro
Piano: Giacomo Cuticchio
A journey into timeless time, where Mimmo Cuticchio’s ancient “cunto” and his son Giacomo’s contemporary music exchange intentions, give way to each other, and merge in a play, at times simple and harmonious, at times reckless and acrobatic, depicting the exploits of Orlando, the valiant paladin, the quintessential hero, austere, courageous, and devoted to his duty as captain-general of the French army.
The tale focuses on the dramatic and spectacular rout of Roncesvalles, where Orlando and three hundred other fearless paladins meet their deaths.
For the first time, the musical themes of battle, gallop, lament, and royal march, composed especially by Giacomo Cuticchio for this “journey,” are united with the rhythms, tones, and mighty vocality of Mimmo Cuticchio, capable of portraying over forty different characters and transforming the “cunto” into song.
A work for voice and music, in which the narration holds the threads of the tale and the music emphasizes and enhances its rhythms and emotions. The suite for woodwinds, brass, and strings is performed by an ensemble of nine musicians. The supporting instrument is the piano, the counterpart of the top-hat piano in traditional performances, which Giacomo played as a child at the beginning of his apprenticeship as an “oprante”.
Mimmo and Giacomo Cuticchio are father and son, respectively. The former, drawing from the deep heart of the tradition of puppet opera, has revived it in a contemporary perspective while also preserving the “cunto” from oblivion, always emphasizing his descent from the masters of the past. The latter took his first steps as an “oprante-musician” on the fertile soil plowed by his father; later, his encounter with the work of Philip Glass and his love for ancient, Renaissance, and Baroque music propelled him towards original sound research, in many ways similar to that of his father, now recognized as the greatest innovator of the opera.