Commissioned by the RAI National Symphony Orchestra in 2017, "Der Wahnsinn" (The Madness) is an ironic and exhilarating investigation into the persistence of musical memory. First performed on February 28, 2017, under the baton of Ryan McAdams, the composition stands as a sophisticated symphonic divertissement that challenges the listener's perception through a refined play of citations and overlaps.
The Prism of Citation: Encounters and Collisions
The fundamental premise of the piece is the interrelation of iconic themes from music history, treated not as simple fragments but as independent actors coexisting in a complex sonic ecosystem. Ravizza performs a kind of "aesthetic surgery" on the themes: waltzes by Verdi and Strauss (five simultaneous themes) are woven into a contrapuntal texture that enhances their rhythmic affinities, pushing the concept of harmonic saturation to its limit.
Meta-instrumentalism and Stylistic Crossover
The score lucidly explores the boundary between inspiration and coincidence. One of the most emblematic moments is the Baroque metamorphosis of the famous late-90s heavy metal theme "The Final Countdown," placed in double counterpoint with a theme by Benedetto Marcello. Here, the transparency of the compositional process reveals how melodic architecture can transcend its original genre, transforming a pop icon into a 17th-century stylistic exercise. Similarly, the monumental dialogue between Orff's "Carmina Burana" and Richard Strauss's "Also sprach Zarathustra" creates a resonance that questions the very solemnity of the original themes.
Broadcast and Reception
The work, presented during the RAI Carnival Concert—an evening that featured violinist David Garrett as the main guest—has been broadcast multiple times on Rai 5 and Radio 3. Its multimedia nature and its ability to engage a broad audience while maintaining academic rigor make it one of the most effective pages of Ravizza's symphonic output, currently available for viewing on the RaiPlay platform.
Watch the official performance on: RaiPlay - OSN in festa con David Garrett