Ad Quartum - Luciano Feliciani

The city of Quart derives its name from the Latin "Ad quartum ab Augusta lapidem", or four Roman miles from Augusta Praetoria, present-day Aosta, along the ancient Roman consular road of the Gauls. The fortress of Quart, whose construction began in 1185, is the main source of inspiration for the composition. The work begins, in fact, as if wrapped in a mysterious, suspended atmosphere, when the fog that envelops the manor suddenly thins out and lets one see the majestic building in all its austerity. A rhythmically exciting episode follows this brief introduction, ideally describing the events that have marked the long history of these places. The music highlights the percussion instruments, which evoke ancient medieval atmospheres in a modern language. The second theme, derived from the previous one, describes instead emotions and feelings of grandeur, beauty, and peace associated with the splendid Valle d'Aosta mountains that surround Quart. A developed melodic idea, supported by wide-ranging harmonies, attempts to musically portray the extraordinary natural beauty of these places. The reprise of the first theme, varied and presented in a lively and energetic movement, guides the final part of the piece: a coda where all the melodic and rhythmic ideas previously exposed are condensed.