The revenge of Music

They say that all seas are connected to each other through oceans and straits, forming a single global marine system. And therefore, thanks to the Suez Canal, Sardinia and the Mediterranean are today artificially connected to the Red Sea and therefore to the Persian Gulf, on whose western coast, facing Persia, the star of Doha shines.

But if someone had attended the end-of-year concert, organized on 31 December 2025 by the Sardinia Opera of the Teatro Lirico of Cagliari, he would not have needed to make an effort to search for these geographical connections, which also exist, since the seas and oceans constitute, through the currents, a single hydrographic basin.

But in the civic theater of Cagliari, last night, when Sardinia met Qatar, there were other currents that could be felt in the room and which, in some magical moments, connected the two seas; the Sardinian Mediterranean one, and the Persian one from Doha.

These musical currents crossed the souls of the numerous spectators present, creating a musical atmosphere of brotherhood.

Thus it happened that the percussions of the Qatari Ensemble “Fijiri”, two Darbuka and a Davul, merged perfectly with the instruments of the opera orchestra, composed of winds, woodwinds, brass, piano and other percussions and even more so with the voices of the Choir.

Those who were present could feel strong sensations. It seemed that those sounds, as a whole, called humanity back to a universal spiritual fusion, which, although too often rejected by the narrow vision of politicians and the powerful men of the world, has nevertheless found its guiding spirit in music.

It is undeniable that even the sound stones, masterfully played by the daughter of its creator Pinuccio, and the pianist Andrea Granitzio, were able to intercept these musical currents, which, rising in the large theater space, put the spirit of those present in communication.

Personally I heard the rhythms that the musicians gave to the pearl divers of Qatar. And I perceived the same sounds that echo in our Mediterranean Sea from Morocco and from the other countries that overlook our sea and which constitute a unique cultural entity, from a musical point of view, such as to include all the countries of Arab tradition, even beyond the Arabian Peninsula. And Sardinia, which has dominated the Mediterranean for millennia, radiates its music and sounds all around, even through the sound stones of Pinuccio Sciola. A symphony of Mediterranean sounds that Fabrizio De André would certainly have liked, convinced as he was that the Mediterranean constituted a unique basin of culture and sounds.

The Gavino Murgia Quintet also participated in this universal symphony of sounds, in the song of the two seas, with their masterfully performed pieces, which in the musical form of jazz, recalled, at times, the best Frank Zappa, in his most daring experiments, but also other musicians, purer in their jazz background, such as Davis, Coltrane, and even more Metheny, Di Meola and Mc Laughlin.

The climax of the evening, in my opinion, occurred with the performance of some songs by Dana Al Fardan, taken from the album “Tempest”, masterfully arranged, in the orchestration by Joris Laenen and for the choral part by Giovanni Pasini, who conducted the orchestra, the choir and all the other musicians present with authority and precision.

Special praise also deserves the violinist Anna Tifu (who carries on the musical legacy of Enzo Bosso), the pianist Andrea Granitzio and Gavino Murgia, with his incomparable sax.

The final pearl, as also underlined by director Pasini, was the singing performance of Alice Marras who ventured into “Andimironnai”, a traditional Sardinian song, accompanied by Anna Tifu on violin, Gavino Murgia on solo sax, Daniele Russo on solo drums and again by the sound stones of Maria Sciola, who did not make us regret the trite and hackneyed finals of the most classic of the year-end concerts.

A successful experiment therefore, both on a cultural and more purely musical level. a hope for a future of peace and brotherhood, through music.

In this sense, applause goes to superintendent Andrea Cigni who had the courage to break with tradition without forgetting that good music must still be conveyed with the right professionalism.

The Last Moon

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BYVJ67QW

 

The last moon

 

Act Unique in six scenes in Sardinian Language

By Ignazio Salvatore Basile

Translaction in to English by the same author

General index

 

the last moon

drama in one act and six scenes

pages 1-20

 

Structure and Framework

page 21

Description of the Protagonists

page 22

 

The presentation of the author: where does the idea come from?

page 24

 

Director's Notes

Page 26

 

Acknowledgments and Contributions

page 27

Characters

 

Itzocar                                  Tribe’s Chief of Nure

 

Irìsa                                        His  Wife

 

Damasu                                  Son to Itzocar and  Irìsa

 

Gula                               Daughter to  Itzocar and  Irìsa

 

Alàshia                                   Sister to  Gonario

 

Aristea                            Daughter  to  king Gonario’s 

 

Nakigia                                   Gonario ‘s Widow

Rumisu                   Nakigia’s Son –Throne’s pretender

 

Bithia                Nakigia’s Sister - Priestess of  Nure

 

Iolao                                       Bithia’s Son

 

Anù                                        High Priest at Nure     

                                     

Elki                               Anù’s Son  and  Soldier’s Chief

 

Soldiers and People

 

King  Gonario                        His Phantom

THE PLOT

 

On the  tribe of  Nure reigns Itzocar, who rose in command twenty years before,  when  his brother Gonario, suddenly died.

In so doing Itzocar has however willfully ignored the rules regarding the succession imposed by ancient tradition , who foresaw the Regency of Gonario’s widow,  Nakigia, at least until the grown age of his son Rumisu, still a child at the time of death of the king Gonario.

Trying to legitimize and strengthen the usurped power Itzocar and authoritative Anù, Member of the Council of elders of Nure, combine a double marriage: Damasu, designed by his father Itzocar to succeed him on the throne, will marry Aristea (who is daughter to deceased King's sister, Alàshia), while Elki, son of Anù  will marry  Gula (daughter of Itzocar).

 

But Nakigia, widow to Gonario,  who is contrary to weddings, invited to depose the gifts on behalf of Anù, invites the nobles, priests and the people waiting for the awakening of Bithia Priestess ( mother of Iolaus), who has been doing the rite of incubation, waiting for a forseen dream,  to refuse the wedding at least until Bithia’s reveil.

Rumisu, son to deceased King Gonario and to Nakigia , aims to remove Uncle Itzocar in the command , feeling empowered.

While Nakigia exposes his call to wait, Bithia awakens and describes his dream of doom: a Sun swallowed by the Moon(Song of Bitia).

 Immediately after bursts on the scene Rumisu accusing Uncle Itzocar to have usurped the command (song of  Rumisu).

At the end of  Rumisu’s song, Damasu enters in defense of his father Itzocar.

The two men fight hand-to-hand.

The winner will be Rumisu. The loser Damasu abandons the village.

Rumisu, ripped the stick and the mantle from his uncle Itzocar, that will follow with his wife Irìsa the defeated son, sits on the throne and invites Aristea to join him at his side.

 But Iolaus and Aristea announce their love. And while the people and the guards, let the two lovers pass by, sadly Rumisu will leave the scene defeated by his own lust for power.

The ghost of King Gonario appears to underline the right rules with the song  of Akinta Kamar.

When Gonario goes out of scene, all the people will dance, celebrating the Last Moon, before the sun takes over the power for ever.

 

FIRST SCENE

 (the scene opens to the central square of the nuragic village of Nure. In the background,   a sacred well of nuragic period and in the distance the towers of the village; the half moon   shines in the blue sky; a mixed group  are dancing  a nuragic appropriate dance of good luck wishing at the double promise of marriage between Damasu and Aristea and between Elki and Gula.

 The choir will be singing the following air)

 

Come on, come on, lights from the sky

Come on, bright and pregnant

Come to the aiming water

Come on, come on, lights from the sky

 

 

Itzocar (standing up and beating the sheep’s stick for thrice, calling for silence)

-        People of  Shardana! Listen to me! I, Itzocar, King of Nure, today  I promise by the present announcement the wedding of my son  Damasu with the nice princess  Aristea ((Aristea,  will cover her face with the veil;  later on this sign, soon interpreted as shyness,  will be revealed  a gesture of refusing !)

 And when the Moon is sank  in the sacred well, nobody will be able to deny this promise  I’m doing in front of you; I call everybody as witnesses  as I confirm the promise with the gifts that my wife  Irìsa will pose hereafter in the well;

 

Irìsa (she stands solemnly up and goes to put the presents by the sacred well; then one ancill will give her a veil whom with she will tie one the couples)

-         You will be tied together for all your life, in luckiness and sadness! For ever and ever!

 

Anù (leaving the priest’s assembly will repeat the same Itzocar’s words, inviting Nakigia, being him a widower, to deal the bribes)

-         And I, Anù, Mayor between the Mayors of  Nure, announcing and  pronouncing  the weddings of my son  Elki with the beloved king’s Itzocar daughter , the nice Gula(he will stare at  Gula  who according to tradition will hide her own face with the veil) and because I’m a widower it’s up to the first Priestess Nakigia to present the gifts in front of the people!

 

Nakigia ( she will solemnly occupy the center stage, which will be promptly released,   but without taking any the gifts of  Anù and leaving drop off the veil brought to her for tieing the other couple ).

         - Is not that the way we used to present our weddings in the sacred well of Garlo in this country! Not even for the ancient habits  and not really while our priestess  Bithia   is still consulting our Gods! (everybody will turn towards the sacred tub of prediction where Bithia is staying, while the heads and the priests shall lift buzz of discontent and protests; but the protest stops while leaping from  the sacred cavern from which Bithia, cataplexy, comes, sustained  by the vestals to occupy the center stage  and  begins to sing)

to be continued...

The stonefire's island

It's a 2.000 village inhabitants in the east of Sardinia; its name "Perdasdefogu", which reminds on its roots the ancient spanish conquerors who called it "Pierdas de fuego", means "Stones of fire".

And Sardinia it's a land of stones: the megalitic culture has left a great print all over Sardinia which praisies the rest of 30.000 nuraghes (7.000 of them still erected); giant's coffins, fairytale houses, and on therir ruines, after millennia of civilisation, you can easily find the rest of Phenician's and Roman's domination, with imponent cities on the strategic coast skyline and even a roman amphetheatre of the II century in the centre of Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia. And after the Romans, fierce enemies of unbendable ancient nuragic people, the decline, mostly in the second millennium A.D. with the Spanish and the italian Savoia.

Thera also the singing stones (but that's another story which deserves another post).

And there are the living stones: the Melises (see the link below for detailed newyork's report).

The Melises are stronger than stones: they have deserved a place in the world's guiness of record. The Melises are a family of nin siblings who sum up 825 years all together: the oldest being 105 year old; the youngest being 79 year old.

The american papers underlines the lackness of work making a great contrast with the capacity of living so long.

Also this is another story. I can only say that sardinian people are too much fatalist.

And  if they  will find the way to remember that their ancestors were so strong to be able to built such imponent and majestic buildings as the nuraghes, they are easily sorting out of all economic and financial  crisis. It would enough to value their culture and to organize the international tourism after that (not only after the three months sea season).

But that a hard way to be found.

Read more on this:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/18/world/europe/celebrating-the-elderly-with-a-nervous-eye-on-the-future.html?ref=world&_r=2&