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Alla Luna was written in 2018, inspired by the lyrical poetry of Giacomo Leopardi.
With evocative piano accompaniment and lush choral sections, the piece explores the author’s reflections on the anguish of his youth, when hope was still distant.
The first section is ponderous and sombre, reflecting the mood of the text (“O lovely moon / I am reminded, now nearing a year / over this hill I came full of anguish to gaze at you”). By contrast, the second part of the piece mirrors the optimism of the author’s musings, beginning with a rich sweeping melody in the soprano part, echoed by the tenors (“And yet it helps me, thinking back / Reliving the time of my unhappiness”).
Composer Theo Hnat says of Leopardi and his inspiration: “He's one of the most highly regarded lyrical poets of his time, and his works are full of passion — yet so few of them are set to music. His ideas are intense and change quickly, with varying stanzas...as a result, the piece is through-composed, so it follows the emotion and feeling of the actual poem."
Alla Luna was first performed by the Consortia Chamber Choir in 2018, accompanied by Hnat himself.
Listen to Alla Luna on Spotify
Text note
Text from a poem by Giacomo Leopardi (1798 - 1837)