Once the choice of the subject for an opera that represented the historical-cultural roots of Ticino was agreed on the events related to the young and beautiful Maddalena narrated in Carlo Silini’s novels, Thomas Trachsel was identified as the perfect composer to translate the plot into music: Swiss, winner of international prizes and awards, and, above all, an exponent of a compositional style perfectly adhering to the subject of a dramatic opera such as Maddalena, with his epic style not distant from the classical tradition.
Even the choice to compose for wind orchestra is not accidental, since it is an ensemble with a solemn and evocative sound, and at the same time, it is linked to the most deeply rooted musical traditions of the area.
Find out more about the wind orchestra
The composition took place between 2020 and 2021, with a premiére scheduled for 2023.
The creative process was very elaborate and complex, as the primary inspiration of the subject was not from a stage drama but from two novels. The two original volumes also needed to be compressed, eliminating many sections while keeping the main plot points intact. The musical form that emerged was that of the singspiel, that operatic genre made up of sung closed numbers (arias and duets), some accompanied recitatives and various recited sections.
The staging involves the use of large masses in terms of numbers: a large orchestra and a large polyphonic choir, in addition to the soloists.
In composing, Trachsel wanted to underline the link with the Mendrisio area by also connoting the pieces acoustically and was therefore inspired by various melodies and acoustic signals that dot the soundscape of the sacred folk tradition of the place. That’s why Trachsel quotes for example traditional music typical of the Holy Week in Mendrisio, whose processions and ritual moments are Unesco heritage.
One of the distinctive elements of these processions is that of the trumpeters on horseback, who perform a signal, a fanfare typical of the sacred folk events of Holy Week. There is also a reference to the Stabat Mater which is sung by the prayers in the Septenary of the Church of S. Giovanni di Mendrisio, which appears, very solemnly, in the Finale.
