Astragalus is a small bone in the ankle at the base of the tibia.

Astragalus was a children’s toy and magical ritual object used to transition from childhood into the world of adults, especially by young women.

Astragalus was also an ancient wind instrument, sometimes identified with the Greek aulos (Latin: tibia).

Astragalus (Little Anklebone) is an Indian fairy-tale translated into English by Flora Annie Steel. It tells the story of a young shepherd and flute player who is about to be eaten by a wolf. The shepherd boy begs the wolf to spare his astragalus, the bone that will allow him to live forever as enchanted flute music, like Krishna.


Astragalo is an ensemble of professional musicians who took part in a joint research project led by musicologist Roberta De Piccoli and pianist-composer Stefano Battaglia.

Astragalo is the musical results of three ensembles inspire by the precepts of Vladimir Ja. Propp, Russian literary scholar and anthropologist. Propp’s ideas on the structure of fairytales were used to prime musicians to improvisation.

Astragalo marks the transition from a state of non self-awareness towards a state of musical self-knowledge. It is a functional method for stimulating a creative flow for musical expression, where music is the outcome of sound-enhanced silence.

Astragalo will issue 3 volumes, of which this is the first.


Roberta De Piccoli’s research tested the hypothesis that the logical-formal models proposed by Propp might be applied to the experience of improvisational music making.
Analysing fairytales, Propp listed in sequence 31 interrelated functions carried out by 7 characters each performing distinct roles within the dramatic action of the narrative.
Fairytales were chosen which offered material of varying structural complexity so as to prompt a range of musical responses (exposition, imitation, variation, repetition, contrast, new solutions etc.). They also address each musician’s need to perform interactions within the specifics of the ensemble line-up (solos, tutti, duets etc).

In this experimental joint project (2008-2010), theories developed by Roberta De Piccoli (Accademia Filarmonica, Bologna) were used to feed into Stefano Battaglia’s improvisation workshop (Laboratori di Ricerca Musicale – Fondazione Siena Jazz). The collaboration made use of material collected by Aleksander Nikolaevic Afanase’v (in view of his association with Propp), but also featured stories from various traditions around the world.

The fairytale, replete with magical actions, characters and objects, was the genre most commonly preferred over others. In Propp’s definition, fairytale contain references to ancient rites of passage, and it was his line that prevailed in both preparatory study and for the actual performance.

On matters of style, Stefano Battaglia adopted a tabula rasa approach, insisting on strict adherence to musical parameters (rhythm, timbre, melody, harmony). Working from non-musical sources without specific idiomatic and stylistic references was for him no novelty. He welcomed non-conventional use of the instrument, and saw himself as part of the ensemble rather than as its leader.

Roberta De Piccoli


TRACKS:

1) Go I know not whither and fetch I know not what - Va non so dove portami non so cosa
(by Aleksandr Nikolaevic Afanasjev, Ancient Russian Fairy Tale, translated by Gigliola Venturi, Turin, Einaudi 1953 ).

Ensemble: Silvia Bolognesi, Vincenzo Maccuro, Luisiana Lorusso, Lorenzo Del Grande, Ermes Pirlo, Stefano Battaglia.

The title is a Russian saying that refers to “an impossible task”.

2) Per, Paal and Esben Ash Lad – Per, Pål e Espen, detto Ceneraccio (by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen – Jørgen Moe, Norwegian fairy tales, translated by Alda Manghi Castagnoli, Turin, Einaudi 1973)

Ensemble: Silvia Bolognesi, Stefania Ladisa, Lorenzo Del Grande, Maurizio Lesmi, Christian Thoma, Ermes Pirlo, Stefano Battaglia

The English title of this Norwegian tale is Boots and his brothers. The hero is a male Cinderella, a young good-for-nothing who features in several Norwegian stories, contrasting with his Scandinavian ‘brothers’, the Swede and the Dane. The collection by Asbjørnsen and Moe (1837-1876) is a declaration of independent identity in keeping with the romantic spirit of the age. It predates (if only by a little) the work of Afanasjev.

3) The Feather of Fenist the Bright Falcon - La penna di Finist Falco lucente (by Aleksandr Nikolaevic Afanasjev, Ancient Russian Fairy Tale, translated by Gigliola Venturi, Turin, Einaudi 1953).

Ensemble: Silvia Bolognesi, Stefania Ladisa, Lorenzo Del Grande, Maurizio Lesmi, Christian Thoma, Ermes Pirlo; Stefano Battaglia

“All I want, dear father, is the Feather of Fenist the Falcon”. This tale is a variation on the Cinderella story.

4) Koshchei the Deathless - Scheletro senza morte (by Aleksandr Nikolaevic Afanasjev, Ancient Russian Fairy Tale, translated by Gigliola Venturi, Turin, Einaudi 1953).

Ensemble: Chiara Liuzzi, Maurizio Rinaldi, Maurizio Lesmi, Michele Sanna, Stefano Battaglia

Koshchei is a sort of mask in the Russian folk narrative tradition, an archetypical male anti-hero. Often a rival in love, at other times a protective Wizard with magical powers, he can be understood as a male version of the Baba Jaga figure in Slavic folklore.

5) The Adventures of Mrile - Le avventure di Mrile (African Fairy Tales - Fiabe africane) selected by Paul Radin, translated by Adriana Motti, Turin, Einaudi 1955).

Ensemble: Silvia Bolognesi, Stefania Ladisa, Lorenzo Del Grande, Maurizio Lesmi, Christian Thoma; Ermes Pirlo; Stefano Battaglia

This tale is structured like a nursery-rhyme. It unfolds along the lines of a cumulative song based on a cooking recipe.

6) Lillekort (by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen – Jørgen Moe, Norwegian Fairy Tale, translated by Alda Manghi Castagnoli, Turin, Einaudi 1973).

Ensemble: Silvia Bolognesi, Stefania Ladisa, Lorenzo Del Grande, Maurizio Lesmi, Christian Thoma, Ermes Pirlo; Stefano Battaglia