Zurich/Intragna 1987
time ca. 9'/10'
dedicated to Walther Giger


The guitar figures only in four of Ermano Maggini's compositions. Three of these works were composed at the end of the sixties including the 'Cinque Disegni' (this composition is also edited by Müller & Schade); (see work catalogue)
Torso IV was written in 1987 for the Orches'Trio. The musicians live in Zürich: Noriko Kawamura-Shirato, violin, Walther Giger, guitar, and Fumio Shirato, double bass. The work consists of three movements: Lento con anima, Energico und Lento espressivo.
The first performance of Torso IV took place in St.Peter's church in Zurich on 1st October 1987. After that Torso IV accompanied the Orches'Trio on many concert tours in Europe, in Mexico as well as in Japan. On 19th December 1992 Torso IV was also performed in memory of the composer's death in Intragna, his native village. In 1990/1991 Ermano Maggini had composed one of his last works for Fumio Shirato: 'Urakami' for shakuhachi and double bass, a work which, together with Torso IV, became a part of their concerts. In one of the flyers about the concert you read: 'The composer's use of modal techniques makes the music sound both old and new (ancient and modern), and produces an almost orchestral sound from an unusual combination of instruments.'
First recordings were made in December 1993 and in the summer 1995 by the RTSI
Rete 2 Radio Studio Lugano realizing these compositions of Ermano Maggini on CD as another document by musicians who had still been in close contact with the composer in his lifetime. It is the third CD with works of Ermano Maggini edited by the Fondazione Ermano Maggini-Intragna: CD Szene Schweiz Jecklin Edition, JD 311-2, 1995, see also discography in this publication).

P. S.
Ermano Maggini complemented his studies at the Zürcher Musikakademie (Zurich Music Academy). He had private lessons with the guitarist Manuel Lopez Ramos (1929 – 2006) in Zurich, and at the conservatory in Barcelona he attended classes of the distinguished Spanish guitarist and composer Graciano Tarrago (1892 – 1973). The latter is also wellknown as the author of a much acclaimed and successful guitar tutor, structure and methods of playing the guitar ('Método graduado'). It is to be assumed that in that way Ermano Maggini improved his development as a classical guitarist and laid the foundation for his 'Zürcher Gitarrenschule' (Zurich school for guitarists) which he established in 1958 when he finished his studies at the Zurich music academy. Manuel Lopez Ramos and Graciano Tarrago had obviously been of enduring importance for the young prospective musician or he would not have mentioned them especially in a note about a concert. He normally shied away from using this kind of notes.
René Armbruster (1931 - 1991) taught 'music theory' and Robert Blum (1900 – 1994) was responsible for the subjects 'composition and counterpoint' when Ermano Maggini attended the Zurich Music Academy. Regrettably there is no further evidence.

Text and editing: Evi Kliemand (1995/2017)
Translation: Thomas Batliner
Fondazione Ermano Maggini Intragna

< back