Nove giorni (Aus den neun Tagen) is a collection of nine pieces composed by Andrea Ravizza.
Context and Dedication
The composition was commissioned in 2021 by the Italian Consulate in Basel for the first edition of the Italian & Swiss Jazz Festival.
The title of the work, Nove giorni (Aus den neun Tagen), is both a reference and a dedication to Karlheinz Stockhausen’s 1968 work Aus den sieben Tagen. The affinity lies in the temporal aspect of the compositional process: while the German composer wrote his work in seven days, all the thematic material of Nove giorni was written by Ravizza over the course of nine days. It is important to note that, being a work for ensemble, considerable additional time was subsequently devoted to the development, arrangement, and orchestration of the pieces.
Character and Style
Just as Stockhausen’s work is defined as “intuitive music”, Nove giorni also exhibits a comparable instinctive dimension. However, there are fundamental differences: unlike Aus den sieben Tagen—which consists of cryptic textual pieces to be interpreted—Nove giorni is structured through the conventional materials of music: chords, notes, sections, arrangement, and orchestration.
Nevertheless, its predominantly improvised jazz character recalls the intuitive aspect of Stockhausen’s work. Improvisation is left free both in the solo sections and in the harmonic and rhythmic freedom granted to the rhythm section.
Structure and Pieces
Each piece in the collection Nove giorni (Aus den neun Tagen) bears the same title as one of the pieces from Aus den sieben Tagen. The nine pieces are titled:
- Meeting Point
- Unlimited
- Right Durations
- Night Music
- Above and Below
- Arrival
- Litany
- It
- Set Sail for the Sun
Instrumentation and Premiere
Unlike Aus den sieben Tagen, in which the choice of instrumentation is left to the performers, the instrumentation of Nove giorni was defined by the composer.
The premiere took place in Basel on 16 May 2021, conducted by Andrea Ravizza himself. The ensemble for the first performance included:
- voice: Carmen Lina Ferrante
- Conn O-sax: Attilio Berni
- guest alto saxophone: Claudio Chiara
- saxophone: Gianni Gagliardi
- guest trumpet: Fulvio Chiara
- trumpet: Vittorio Vicari
- piano: Fabio Giachino
- double bass: Francesco Losavio
- drums: Lucio Marelli
A Metaphor for Understanding
Nove giorni may be imagined as a building constructed rapidly on foundations inspired by a great master (Stockhausen), yet completed with a carefully designed architecture (arrangements and written scores). While the structure is solid and clearly defined, the interior is conceived to allow maximum expressive freedom, enabling musicians to move intuitively through jazz spaces—like waves breaking within predetermined boundaries.