Zodiac, twelve Lieder for voice and orchestra, a new composition by Marcello Panni on poems by Gaia Servadio, will be premiered in Florence on May 20 by the mezzo-soprano Alda Caiello and the Orchestra della Toscana, conducted by Garry Walker. The central theme of this group of poems is the falsehood of astrology: no illusion, no lasting happiness is conceded to us, even if we pretend to believe in deceitful star signs.Talking of Zodiac, the composer explains:

"I wanted to call these pieces Lieder both because of my love for Schubert’s and Schumann’s masterpieces and because I have made use of the extremely simple form typical of the binary (ABAB) or ternary (ABA) Lied in almost all the star signs. As Schubert composed his songs, every star sign is a brief, self-contained and independent form, but they are linked together by similar motives. Moreover, as in Bach’s and Chopin’s preludes, every star sign has a different tonal centre: one for each of the twelve pitches in an octave from the C of Pisces to the B of Aquarius."

The orchestra is used as an ensemble of soloists who punctuate and accompany the voice creating transparency and lightness. Zodiac has been commissioned by the Orchestra della Toscana.

Marcello Panni: work list