SWR/Arte

Luigi Nono – The Sound of Utopia

 

A film by Thomas von Steinaecker

 

Luigi Nono’s life is full of passion and mystery: after World War II, he dreams of a better world, which he wants to bring about musically. At the same time, he is a convinced communist and exemplifies the “special path” taken by Italy’s intellectuals. The failure of merging serial music with politics leads to a human drama – from which Nona emerges transformed and with great intensity. His compositions are among the most beautiful and influential works of New Music. The film also poses a question that is more topical today than ever: how political should and can art be?