- Source: Gruppo di Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza
Gruppo di Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza (lit. 'New Consonance Improvisation Group'), also known as The Group or Il Gruppo, was an avant-garde free improvisation group considered the first experimental composers collective.
History
The collective was formed by Italian composer Franco Evangelisti in Rome in 1964. Drawing on jazz, serialism, musique concrete, and other avant-garde techniques developed by contemporary classical music composers such as Luigi Nono and Giacinto Scelsi, the group was dedicated to the development of new music techniques by improvisation, noise-techniques, and anti-musical systems. The group members and frequent guests made use of extended techniques on traditional classical instruments, as well as prepared piano, tape music and electronic music. During the 1970s the music continued to evolve to embrace techniques and genres such as guitar feedback and funk. In addition to concerts, the group issued a series of albums and contributed to many scores by group member Ennio Morricone, including A Quiet Place in the Country (1968) and Cold Eyes of Fear (1971). The group slowly disbanded after Evangelisti's death in 1980.
Main Members
Franco Evangelisti (piano, percussion)
Ennio Morricone (trumpet, flute)
Egisto Macchi (perc, celesta, strings)
Other Members at times
Mario Bertoncini (perc, piano)
Walter Branchi (double-bass)
Richard Aaker Trythall (piano)
John Heineman (trombone, cello)
Roland Kayn (Hammond organ, vibraphone, marimba)
Frederic Rzewski (piano)
Giancarlo Schiaffini (trombone, assorted wind instruments)
Giovanni Piazza (horn, flute, violin)
Antonello Neri (piano, et al)
Jesus Villa Rojo (clarinet, et al)
Bruno Battisti D'Amario (allsorts)
Discography
1966 "Nuova Consonanza", LP RCA
1967 "The Private Sea of Dreams" (as Il Gruppo), LP RCA Victor
1968 "Improvisationen" LP Deutsche Grammophon
1970 "The Feed-back" (as The Group), LP RCA
1973 "Improvvisazioni a Formazioni Variate" (also known as "Gruppo d'Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza"), LP General Music
1975 "Nuova Consonanza", LP Cinevox Records. Reissue 2007 CD Bella Casa
1976 "Musica su Schemi", LP Cramps Records. Reissue 2002: LP Get Back, CD Ampersand
1992 "1967-1975", CD Edition RZ
2006 "Azioni", CD Die Schachtel
2010 "Niente", CD Cometa Edizioni Musicali. Reissue
2012 LP The Omni Recording Corporation/The Roundtable
2011 "Eroina", CD Cometa Edizioni Musicali