Le Tavole del Peccato (The Tableaux of Sin) was composed in 2013 for a concert that took place at the Centre for Biblical Studies ‘G. Vannucci’ in Montefano, Italy, alongside a study conference dedicated to the concept of sin. Drawing inspiration from this theme, Le Tavole del Peccato articulates through seven picturesque graphic scores based on the first seven verses of the Third Chapter of Genesis; the well-known verses in which the snake tempts Eve into eating the forbidden fruit, thus generating the original sin. The piece’s subtitle intends to capture this: Seven Musical Tableaux from the Original Sin according to Genesis.

The seven tableaux present an inextricable blend of figurative drawings and unusual musical notation. Each graphic score features both images that graphically portray the biblical verses – which are themselves textually incorporated within the tableaux – and musical lines that creatively proceed in unconventional, non-linear ways. Some staves follow the shapes of the drawings, some are fragmented, others are connected through arrows, and so on. The synchronicity between the players is freed from the rigidity of bar-lines, enabling rhythmic fluidity and occasional indeterminateness. The melodic and harmonic material, similarly, aims to evoke an ethereal, somehow timeless soundscape, as if referencing the spiritual nature of the text.

Aside from being performed in concerts, Le Tavole del Peccato has also been exhibited in art exhibitions of graphic score. Instrumentation details:
flute
alto saxophone in Eb