Between music and theatre — Interview with Pasquale Di Giannantonio

When did you start your journey into music and theatre? Was it a choice dictated by the case or passion?

Giannantonio: It was a choice that mixed the two components, as on the one hand I have a familiar context where music was very important in my family, on the other hand I had the opportunity to deepen my studies.

How important is the lyrics of a song?

Giannantonio: First of all, I am a classical and instrumental musician, so the field of the lyrics of the song is not my responsibility, but generally the lyrics of a song are of fundamental importance. In today's market it probably has a considerable value because it has a public labeled and needs to meet the needs of the public, but in the field of the cantautorial tradition it is of extreme importance

When you play, what do you transmit to the public?

Giannantonio: “This must be asked to the public since I try to do a work of analysis of repertoire, study and give my personal key to reading that has a communicative purpose but, also, of logic; so those who listen will read what they want but I, comunuqe, can bring it back in that historical context where it was written. Then transmit a landscape, a vision that is erased by the same music.

Do you agree that artists are discovered by talent shows or digital platforms?

Giannantonio: The talent shows are probably a reality where talent is oriented to a purpose; therefore you choose, where you want to arrive. As for digital platforms there is a situation similar to reality because anyone is free to manifest himself, so he has to be discovered by the public; then, it is clear that there is a preliminary study of a certain occasion that, however, can meet the fortune

Among the characters you played at the theatre, what was left more in your heart and why?

Giannantonio: Good question.

I attended the theatre no the classic one; I studied a lot on the myths of Ovidio, as you know the Latin author born in Sulmona, we staged some shows taken from the “Metamorfosi” of Ovidio, one of these shows I wrote and we shot in the various tours all over Italy and had a nice success; surely the interesting character was that of Narciso who loves and hates himself, who does not fight awareness of himself

Do you prefer roles suitable for your person or away from your way of being?

Giannantonio: But probably every job requires a specific path; therefore, it is clear that, when there is a character approaching the person, you have less fun, so I prefer roles far from your personality“

How do you imagine the future of theatre and music?

Giannantonio: However, this is something that all artists would say; that is, he would return to give these professional figures the dignity they have; in the sense they mix non-professional realities with professional realities, and I work, by choice, in a small and marginal territory compared to the great centers of production, often I come across these situations where the public often fails to recognize at quality or the work behind.

So it would be nice on the one hand that the competent institutions would subvert more fruitfully believing in this sector, on the other hand I would like to have an education for the various public to recognize quality.

What are the models you have inspired to become an artist?

Giannantonio: Well, my models are not so many people or individuals even of recent history, but to me the concept of representation, musical or theatrical, which has always been a lighthouse for me, so the idea of seeing, studying, the concept of theater in the Greek world, as a meaning of collective theater, surely it is the model of idea of theater, music, of performance of formation that I have matured, so there is no model to which I was inspired only the concept of idea

What is the soundtrack of your professional personal journey?

Giannantonio: The soundtrack! Jordi Savall's repertoire performances, which is a very great interpreter of ancient music, whose sounds, whose attention to the authenticity of musical time are inimitable

Who would you like to thank for your professional personal journey? What are future projects?

Giannantonio: I would like to thank my mother, my father who is no longer there, my sister who have always supported me and in the world of my education, I would like to thank my conservatory teacher Letizia Guerra who is one of the greatest guitarists currently existing that has made a great career and as a teacher is a better person than I could meet not only for music but also for my person. For future projects!

I live here in Abruzzo, in a small village and I decided to put at the service, currently, not only of artistic heritage, but also in the administrative field and as you have already said I have returned as a council member to the culture of the municipality of Cansano, a small town in the province of L'Aquila that has so much need to work out of the "wild" of Abruzzo and, at the same time, I chose to spend my professionalism in the teaching, so I believe that my figure