Character and Form by Way of Integral Serialism: An Analysis of «Fantasia concertante» (1957) by Camillo Togni

Abstract

In «Fantasia concertante» for flute and string orchestra (1957) Camillo Togni (1922-1993) left behind the twelve-tone thematicism characteristic of his earlier music in favour of an athematic integral serialism that gave rise to new textures and musical characters, as well as to a new treatment of form. This essay examines these features and shows how Togni achieved this shift in style by extending serial principles beyond the choice of pitch and rhythm to a large number of further musical dimensions, including register, interval profile of harmonies, dynamics, articulation, tempo and formal planning. Through a study of the sketch materials held in the Fondo Camillo Togni at the Fondazione Giorgio Cini the essay demonstrates how throughout the compositional process Togni negotiated his musical ideas with the integral serial tools that he had created and continued to fine-tune. Illuminating a particular moment in the history of serial composition in Italy, the analysis shows how it was this kind of self-imposed discipline that enabled Togni to venture into novel stylistic territory.