Futuristic Music

[Starrmark]

Futurism was a musical (and fine arts) movement that began in Italy in 1909. Although short-lived as a cohesive movement, it had an enormous impact on many major 20th Century composers. However, very little sheet music is available today of the Futuristic scores that created the movement. The first Futuristic orchestral work was Francesco Balilla Pratella's "La Sina d’Vargöun," which won a major composition prize and was performed in Bologna in 1909. Balilla Pratella followed this in 1910 with his "Manifesto of Futurism," which is now regarded by many as a seminal work of music theory and aesthetics, which sparked a veritiable revolution in sound. Balilla Pratella's works were soon followed by the noise compositions of Luigi Russolo, one of the most accomplished of the Futurists. Among his compositions are Awakening of a City, Meeting of cars and aeroplanes, Dining on the casino terrace, and Skirmish in the oasis. Another important Futurist composer Filippo Tommaso Marinetti. Afredo Casella was influenced by the Futurists, although the bulk of his work is more traditional.

Futurism quickly spread to Russia. It's leading exponents were Aurthur-Vincent Louie, Mikhail Gnesin, Alexander Goedicke, Geog Kirkor, Julian Krein, Alexander Mosolov, and Leo Ornstein. Among American composers, there were Antheil and Cowell.

I would like to suggest an effort be made to track down and post Futuristic scores on IMSLP -- both in manuscript and the few that were actually published. Who knows what scores have actually survived, and where they are located now? Indeed, the names of many early Futuristic works are so obscure as to be virtually unknown. Simply posting the titles of early Futuristic works would be a great service to those who might like to track them down.

The situation is complicated by copyright. Although most of the explicitly Futuristic scores were composed and first performed during the period 1909-1923, many composers of Futuristic music lived well past 1942, and so their scores are still protected in 70-year post-mortem countries. However, most explicitly Futuristic scores were created, performed and sometimes published before 1923, and so they are PD in the US -- and they can be posted on the US server.

Another complication: many Futuristic composers wrote non-Futuristic works, as well. And with some composers -- Scriabin, for example -- Futurism is in the ear of the listener.

Nevertheless, I think the posting of Futuristic scores -- especially works for noise instruments and prepared instruments -- would be of great interest, not only to musicians, but also music historians and those interested in musical notation.

MS

[Melodia]

Isn't there a large archive or Ornstein on IMSLP?

[KGill]

Isn't there a large archive or Ornstein on IMSLP?

Yes, Ornstein's son Severo allowed IMSLP to transfer the scores of I think all his extant works (many of them - most? - newly typeset) over here a few years ago.