TELLUS

In a remote time a small village is preparing to celebrate with joy the annual spring festival. Everything is ready for the big event, but the night before the festivities, a major earthquake destroys the village, leaving the residents helplessly in turmoil. The first light of dawn reveals the extent of the damage caused by the earthquake. Nevertheless, thanks to the power of the will of the village people and to the inhabitants of the neighboring villages who immediately offer their help, the party, which was postponed for a few days, will still take place; and it will be even more beautiful, because of the presence of so many new friends. This composition was written for the reopening of the School of Music D. Fantini in Gonzaga (Mantova) in the months following the earthquake of May 2012, which struck part of Emilia Romagna and Lombardy. The piece is dedicated to the members of the Junior Band of Gonzaga and to all those who, in the gravity of the situation of those days, have worked with dedication and courage to bring everything back to normality and alleviate the suffering of the affected populations. The main theme of Tellus, the name of the deity that the ancient Romans associated with Mother Earth and that they worshiped as the protector from earthquakes, is inspired by the logo of the Junior Band of Gonzaga: a stylized version of the keys of F (for J[unior]) and of C (for B[and]) contained within a treble key (G[onzaga]).