Musica Futurista is the first release on LTM's new sub-label Salon, whose catalogue will reflect the contribution of music to 20th Century avant-garde art. Musica Futurista: The Art of Noises is a 74 minute collection of music and spoken word from the Italian Futurist movement 1909-1935, including original recordings by Marinetti, Russolo and Balilla Pratella.
As well as vintage 'free verse' readings by Futurist figurehead F.T. Marinetti, the CD includes recordings of the celebrated intonarumori (noise intoners) created by Luigi Russolo, including the compostition The Awakening of a City. Russolo's public performances scandalized Europe in 1914 yet still resonate today. Although his extraordinary ideas met with fierce resistance, it is now clear he exerted a powerful influence on a number of leading avant-garde and experimental composers, initially Igor Stravinsky, George Antheil and Arthur Honegger, and later John Cage, Edgard Varese, Karlheinz Stockhausen and Harry Partch, as well as non-classical electronica and avant-rock. As well as period recordings, the CD includes contemporary performances of other key Futurist works by Balilla Pratella, Antonio Russolo, Aldo Giuntini, Luigi Grandi, Silvio Mix, Franco Casavola, Alfredo Casella, Matty Malneck and Frank Signorelli.
All material on this definitive collection has been digitally remastered. The deluxe booklet features many rare images, as well as detailed historical notes by noted author James Hayward.