Matteo Fargion
2024
The piece that starts on a boat
22 dancers. [30’]
Made with 2nd year students at SEAD, Salzburg.
Premiere at Joseph Eckhart Theater 2/02/2024
2023
24 dancers. [25’]
Made with 2nd year students at SEAD, Salzburg.
Premiere at Joseph Eckhart Theater 10/03/2023
4 singers, 4 Moog Grandmothers synthesisers, violin, viola. [90’]
Text, concept and direction by Spreafico Eckly.
Premiere at Rosendal Theater, Trondheim 14/10/2023, performed by
Martha MacBean, Francesca Fargion, Matteo Fargion, Robert M Johanson, Björn Guo, Stefan Penjin and Live Sunniva Smidt.
2021
Bad Dante Bad English Bad Opera
soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, string trio. [90’]
Text, concept and direction by Spreafico Eckly.
Premiere at Rosendal Theater, Trondheim 17/09/2021, performed by
Martha MacBean, Francesca Fargion, Matteo Fargion, Robert M Johanson, Björn Guo, Stefan Penjin and Live Sunniva Smidt.
Music for En Route
Trumpet, alto sax, trombone, tuba, percussion [20’]
Commissioned by Luca Silvestrini for Protein Dance
2 Synthesisers, snare drum, cow bell, floor tom and cymbal. [30’]
Conceived, directed and performed by Burrows&Fargion.
2020
String Quartet no 5. The nobby saddy quartet
String Quartet [60']
Music for Lectures/Disorienting Front, text by Chrysa Parkinson
Speaker and rock band [15']
Part of a series of talks set to music.
Conceived by Burrows&Fargion. Performed by Chrysa Parkinson, Jonathan Burrows, Francesca Fargion and Matteo Fargion.
Music for Lectures/Get Lost, text by Wendy Houstoun
Speaker and rock band [30’]
Part of a series of talks set to music.
Conceived by Burrows&Fargion. Performed by Wendy Houstoun, Jonathan Burrows, Francesca Fargion and Matteo Fargion. Podcast version commissioned by GIFT Festival
2019
Let us stop this mad rush towards the end
Voice, piano, orchestra, dancer. [18’]
Conceived and directed by Burrows&Fargion, commissioned by London Contemporary Music Festival 2019, performed by the LCMF Orchestra, (dir. Jack Sheen), Francesca Fargion and Claire Godsmark.
Penelope Sleeps (an opera), text by Mette Edvardsen
Soprano, harmonium, Korg synthesiser, speaking voice [90’]
Text, concept and direction by Mette Edvardsen, commissioned by Kunsten Festival Brussels, performed by Angela Hicks, Mette Edvardsen, Matteo Fargion
We Have to Dress Gorgeously, with Andrea Spreafico
2 voices, 3 pianos (tuned to 334Hz,440Hz,446Hz) [60']
A sung punk history of music. Devised and directed by Andrea Spreafico and commissioned by Borealis Festival, Bergen. Performed by Robert M Johanson, Matteo Fargion, Martha Berit, Belt Mai Goto and Håkon Sjøvik Olsen
Flowers (we are), with Claire Croize
Piano, synthesiser, voices, percussion, ring modulation [90']
A dance piece by Claire Croize, commissioned by the Concertgebouw Brugge. Music performed by Francesca Fargion and Matteo Fargion
Good Morning Milton Keynes!, with Andrea Spreafico
Brass band and chamber choir [15']
Commissioned by Festival of Urban Living, Milton Keynes
2018
Dance solo [23’]
Commissioned by Labor Sonor, Berlin
Music For Lectures/Every word was once an animal, text by Mette Edvardsen
Speaker and rock band [35’]
Part of a series of talks set to music.
Conceived by Burrows&Fargion. Performed by Mette Edvardsen, Jonathan Burrows, Francesca Fargion and Matteo Fargion
Music for Lectures/ She Dancing, text by Katie Coe
Speaker and rock band [18']
Part of a series of talks set to music.
Conceived by Burrows&Fargion. Performed by Katie Coe, Jonathan Burrows, Francesca Fargion and Matteo Fargion
Extremely Pedestrian Chorales, with Karl Jay Lewin
Dance piece with pre-recorded music and optional live choir [45’]
Performed by Ellie Sikorski/Janine Fletcher, Claire Godsmark, Neil Callaghan, Karl Jay Lewin
2017
Dance piece with live music [60’]
Commissioned by Dance On, Berlin, for their debut tour
Concept, direction and music by Matteo Fargion. Choreography by Ivo Dimchev, Hetain Patel, Lucy Suggate, Noe Soulier, Beth Gill, Tim Etchells and Etienne Guilloteau
Dance piece for 6 performers and 36 clay objects [45']
Conceived and directed by Burrows&Fargion
Violin & Piano Music
Violin, piano, pre-recorded voice [15']
Commissioned by 840, performed by Ruben Zilberstein and Mateusz Rettner
Vive la Phrance, with Andrea Spreafico
For dancer, actor and musician (piano, voice, melodica, mandolin, ring modulation) [90’]
Performed by Robert M Johanson, Mate Meszaros, Matteo Fargion
Music for oslo
Chamber choir seated in audience [22’]
For Mette Edvardsen’s solo performance oslo
Irrlicht
conceived and performed by Burrows&Fargion
2 voices, rattles, mouth organs [10’]
Commissioned for the opening night of the Musikfestival Bern
Five Loud Portraits
Rock band and 5 seated artists [15']
Conceived and directed by Burrows&Fargion
Sung portraits of 5 local artists, performed at Meteor Festival, Bergen, by Jonathan Burrows, Francesca Fargion and Matteo Fargion
2016
voices, various midi and other instruments, dancers, [140’]
Year long online project consisting of short 'portrait' films of 52 performers with biographical songs. Made with Jonathan Burrows and film maker Hugo Glendinning. Music performed by Francesca Fargion & Matteo Fargion. Commissioned by Sadlers Wells Theatre.
Piano and voice, dancer [15]
Conceived and directed by Burrows&Fargion
Performance/ installation commissioned by the Art-Music-Dance Staging for the Derrida de Moroda Archive exhibition, Museum der Moderne, Salzburg. Choreographed and performed by Claire Godsmark, music by Matteo Fargion. Film By Hugo Glendinning
2015
Dance piece [35’]
Concept and direction by Burrows&Fargion, choreography by Eleanor Sikorski and Flora Wellesley Wesley, commissioned by Nora
2014
Mandolin and voice, dancer, [30’]
Conceived, directed and performed by Burrows&Fargion. Commissioned by the Venice Biennale
The Madonna Project
Melodica, voice, dance, [15’]
Conceived, directed and performed by Burrows&Fargion. Commissioned by the Venice Biennale
Rebelling Against Limit (a lecture/concert)
Piano pieces, speaker, slides [12’]
Text by Jonathan Burrows, Drawings by Peter Rapp, Music by Matteo Fargion.
2 performers at tables, mouth organs [15’]
Commissioned and performed by Tim Parkinson and James Saunders
Dance piece with songs [30’]
Conceived, directed and performed by Burrows&Fargion and a cast of older dancers. Commissioned by the Elixir Festival, Sadlers Wells
2013
Extremely bad dancing to extremely French music, with Karl Jay Lewin
Piano, bass drum, kazoo, rattle and dance [45’]
Conceived and directed by Karl Jay Lewin and Matteo Fargion. Performed by Karl Jay Lewin and Tim Parkinson
10 ABA Pieces
Piano [15’]
Written for Tim Parkinson
Music for Vor dem Ruhestand
String quartet [25']
Incidental music for Elmar Goerden's production of Thomas Berhard's play for the Theater in der Josefstadt, Vienna
Show & Tell (a lecture/concert)
Piano and 2 speaking voices, film [40']
Conceived, directed and performed by Burrows&Fargion
2012
Music for John Gabriel Borkman
Incidental music for Elmar Goerden's production of Ibsen's play for the Theater in der Josefstadt, Vienna
Dance piece with pre-recorded music on midi instruments [30’]
Conceived, directed and performed by Burrows&Fargion
Counting to One Hundred
Dance piece with pre-recorded music for multi-tracked voice and midi instruments [30’]
Conceived, directed and performed by Burrows&Fargion
2011
Wrong Songs
Dance Piece [20']
Commissioned and performed by Mapdance, Chichester
6 Songs for Gill
Dance piece, [18’]
Commissioned by Trinity Laban, performed by BA 3rd year students
2010
Shouting Dance
Dance piece for teenagers, piano [30’]
Conceived and directed by Burrows&Fargion and performed by 12 teenagers and Matteo Fargion. Commissioned by Cultuurcentrum Hasselt and Dans in Limberg, Belgium
Songbook
4 speaking and singing dancers, mouth organs [20’]
Commissioned as part of Rotor by Siobhan Davies Dance. Performed by Charlie Morrissey, Annie Lok, Lindsey Butcher and Andrea Buckley
2009
Music for The Question Room
Piano and slides [60']
Installation commissioned by the Science Museum, London
Live and pre-recorded piano, 2 voices [30’]
Conceived, directed and performed by Burrows&Fargion
Dance duet with 12 plastic cows, harmonium, melodeon, mandolin, mouth organs, voices, [30’]
Conceived, directed and performed by Burrows&Fargion
22
Minutes
Dance/music piece with harmonium, ukuleles, voice, dancer [180’]
Part of The Collection by Siobhan Davies, premiered at Victoria Miro Gallery, London
Performed by Catherine Bennett and Matteo Fargion
2008
Dancing Songs
Dance piece, [20’]
Commissioned by Trinity Laban, performed by BA 3rd year students
2007
Music for Two Quartets
Midi instruments, voices, [60’]
Commissioned by Siobhan Davies Dance
2006
Music for Schändung
Incidental music for Elmar Goerden's production of the Botho Strauß play for the Schauspielhaus, Bochum
Mouth organs, melodica, voices, dancer, tape, [45’]
Conceived, directed and performed by Burrows&Fargion
2005
Dance duet, pre-recorded birds calls [30’]
Conceived, directed and performed by Burrows&Fargion
2004
Music for Long Day’s Journey into Night
Multi-tracked harmonium [21’]
Incidental music for Elmar Goerden's production of Eugene O’Neill: Eines langen Tages Reise in die Nacht for the Salzburger Festspiele/Residenztheater München
2003
String Quartet no 4 (Bow Songs)
String quartet [4’]
Part of The Bow Project, devised by Michael Blake, performed by the Nightingale Quartet
Das Kontingent
arranged for piano duet and voices [25’]
A version of the oratorio of the same name, commissioned for a reading at the Royal Court Theatre, London
Double Dickie
2 pianos [15’]
Written for piano duo Post & Mulder
2002
Dance duet [45’]
Conceived, directed and performed by Burrows&Fargion
Winner of a Bessie Award, New York
Music for Rodogune
Child's voice and electronics [16']
Incidental music for Elmar Goerden's production of Pierre Corneille play, for the Residenz Theater, Munich
Music for The Girl on the Sofa
Piano, electronics, voice [17]
Incidental music for Thomas Ostermeier’s production of the Jon Fosse’s play, performed at the Edinburgh Festival
2001
Music for Vor Langer Zeit im Mai
Piano [8']
Incidental music for Elmar Goerden's production of Roland Schimmelpfennig's play, for the Bayerisches Staatsschauspiel im Haus der Kunst, Munich
2000
You May Not Want To Be Here
violin, prepared piano, speaking voices. [30']
After a concept by Bruce Nauman, conceived and performed by Marc Sabat and Matteo Fargion at the Staatsgalerie, Stuttgart
Das Kontingent (an oratorio)
Violin, cello, trombone, piano, actors/singers [60’]
Text by Soeren Voima, commissioned by Schaubühne Berlin
Music for Die Schwärmer
4 Guitars [18']
Written for Elmar Goerden's production of the Robert Musil play, for the Staatstheater. Stuttgart
1999
Lucio Infelice
Soprano, tenor, fortepiano [15’]
Music for Singing, a dance piece by Jonathan Burrows
Piano [16']
Written for Stephen Clarke
1998
Multiple midi pianos [18']
Music for Minty, a dance piece by Jeremy James
Short concert version for 3 amplified cardboard boxes [8’]
Music for Hedda Gabler,
Prepared piano [16’]
Stage music for Hedda Gabler directed by Elmar Goerden, Stuttgarter Staatstheater
Music for Stiletto
Prepared piano, violin, midi instruments [7’]
Film score for a short film by Adam Roberts, (Channel 4/BFI) written, performed and produced together with Marc Sabat
2 Lines
Wind ensemble [11’]
Written for the Nederlands Wind Ensemble
Le Bellezze D’Hortensia (an opera)
Soprano, tenor, baritone, 2 pianos [40’]
Commissioned by Schloss Solitude, Stuttgart
Music for Aka Blue
Multiple guitars [12']
Music for a dance piece by Karl Jay Lewin
Piano, clarinet, trombone, cello [14’]
Written for Quartet Avance, Freiburg
1997
Tosca Songs
Soprano, piano [19']
Written for Beth Griffith and Dorothea Eppendorf
Multi-tracked Bodhrans, bass guitars, mouth organs; 3 amplified cardboard boxes [30']
Dance score commissioned by Siobhan Davies
Cello [11']
Written for Sophie Harris
Violin & piano [12’]
Written for Clemens Merkel and Dorothea Eppendorf
Music for All Together
Singing pianist with foot rattle [8’]
Written for a dance piece by Jonathan Burrows
Percussion, piano, trombone [12’]
Commissioned by Quartet Avance, Freiburg
Voice, prepared piano, violin, rattle [5']
Written for the dance piece Tinnuts by Karl Jay Lewin
Donna a Cavallo
Virginals [8’]
Written for Sophie Yates, commissioned by BBC Radio 3
1996
Float Weave
Piano, percussion [12']
Commissioned by London New Music
Donna che Beve
Large Bass drum [17']
Written for Robyn Schulkowsky
Voices, clavichord, violin, prepared piano, rattle, body percussion
Written for dance pieces by Jeremy James
1995
Harpsichord [16’]
Part of the music for The Art of Touch, a dance piece by Siobhan Davies.
Performed by Carole Cerasi
Duetti, with Kevin Volans
Multiple pianos, Irish coins [45']
Music for The Stop Quartet, a dance piece by Jonathan Burrows
1994
Sette Canzoni (String Quartet No.3)
String quartet [16’]
Written for the Modern Quartet, Toronto
Piano Quartet
Piano, violin, viola, cello [13']
Commissioned by Simon Jackson, performed by London New Music
Music for Body
Violin, cello, piano, [5’]
Film score for a short film by Adam Roberts, commissioned by Channel4/BFI
1993
Senza Titolo (50 Pieces for violin and piano)
Violin, piano [20’]
Written for Charles Mutter and Sally Rose
Piano Quintet
Piano, string quartet [17’]
Written for the Balanescu Quartet and Andrew Ball
Music for Our
Tape [45’]
Music for a dance piece by Jonathan Burrows
1992
Hungarian Songbook
Tenor, piano [12’]
Music for Very, a dance piece by Jonathan Burrows
Lullaby
Tenor, piano [2’]
1991
Piano [11’]
Written for Noriko Kawai
Separate Lives
Trombone, piano [13’]
Music for Mickey Finn
Violin, viola, cello [ 9’]
Music for a short film by Adam Roberts (Grand Prix du Jury, Angers International Film Festival)
2nd Piano Trio
Violin, cello, piano [12’]
1990
Still Life
Piano and optional counter tenor [25’]
Music for a dance piece by Joachim Schloemer
Three Trumpets
Trumpet and pre-recorded trumpets [10’]
Piano, violin, cello [12’]
Commissioned by London New Music
Initiations Voluptueuses
Tenor, piano [ 2’]
Text by Roger Clarke
Dull Morning
Piano [ 20’]
Music for Outside
String Quartet, piano [5']
Music for a short film by Adam Roberts
1989
Passi Tardi
Bass clarinet, percussion [11’]
Winner of Sonorities Prize for Composition, Belfast. Performed by Roger Heaton and Robyn Schulkowsky.
Trio
Clarinet, bass clarinet, piano [ 7’]
Written for London New Music
Dull Morning Cloudy Mild
2 violins, trumpet, piano, sax, double bass [45’]
Music for a dance piece by Jonathan Burrows.
Two Pianos & Viola
2 pianos, viola [13’]
Written for a dance duet by Chick Eldridge
Two Pieces
Flute, guitar, double bass [3’]
1988
Piano Quintet
Piano & string quartet [11’]
No Flowers
Organ [5’]
Passi Tardi
Crotales [11’]
Written for Robyn Schulkowsky
Low Budget Tango
Flute, alto sax, guitar, violin, piano [3’]
1987
Amnesia
2 clarinets, violin, viola, cello, piano [16’]
Commissioned by London New Music
2nd String Quartet (10 Frugal Pieces)
String quartet [10’]
Performed by The Balanescu Quartet, ICA, London
1986
L’Ultima Follia
Piano [30’]
Written for John Flinders
Two Pianos
2 pianos [3’]
Ladder with View
Flute [7’]
Written for Nancy Ruffer
6 Songs for Accordion & Howard
Singing accordionist [10’]
Written for Howard Skempton
6 Songs for Accordion & Howard
Arr. for baritone & string qt
Arr. for baritone & piano
Widow Bird
Soprano, glockenspiel, [4’]
1985
Piece for Piano
Piano with practice pedal [7’]
Full Fadom Five
Choir SATB [5’]
Pining for Madame Lupukhov
String quartet [10’]
Blood on the dining room floor
Flute, viola, trombone, marimba [10’]
Low Budget Jazz
Trumpet, saxophone, piano, bass guitar, drums set, speaking voice, [5’]
Trio
Flute, cello, piano [11’]
1984
Piece for 2 Pianos
2 pianos, [11’]
First performed by Kevin Volans and Uwe Diegel
Saxophone quartet, crotales, drum set [13’]
Piano Oboe Double Bass
Piano, oboe, double bass [8’]
1983
6 Songs, texts by John Lennon
Soprano, piano [12’]
First performed by Beth Griffiths and Kevin Volans