and mixed
with her own voice opens in a startling universe where all her past influences
meet : classical jazz rock and electronic.
It's her own particular world: black, sultry and violentyfeminine
you
are listening to extracts of harpeXperienced, live
solo and Innocenti
all
music written, produced and performedby
elisabeth valletti - electric
harp + vocals
apart from the live chamber
orchestra and the vocals, all sounds are
produced by an electric harp
::
Valletti Harp player, singer, composer, Valletti writes
music from electronica to experimental classical pieces, performing
on an electric harp.
Using all the technology available, from the first FX-machines
to the latest computer softwares, she pushes the boundaries of
the harp, multiplying the richness of its musical spectrum and
modifying its acoustics to create totally new sounds.
HEADLINE: VALLETTI presents her latest
opus harpeXperienced
The three CDs set is centered around the electric harp and will
be released by the end of 2007.
At
the age of 13, Valletti wins a harp first prize (with the Jury’s
recognition) at the National Conservatoire in Marseille. She
studies Harmony and Composition at the University of Berkeley
(California), ethnology at the Paris Université of Nanterre,
and Film making in IDHEC (Paris). She discovers and embraces
all genres of music while travelling through America
and Europe.
1980-1990 - She tours
around the world (Europe, Japan, Israel, USA) playing classical
composers as well as her own compositions. Wanting to explore new
sounds for the harp, she asks the premiere harp manufacturer Camac to
design the first electric harp. In 1986, Joel
Garnier (director of Camac) commisions
her to write a piece for the Memory Harp*,
- a revolutionary, computer-operated instrument he just created -
, so as to present the prototype of this visionnary instrument
to Pierre Boulez. She performs this work for Pierre Boulez. Salvi,
another Harp manufacturer asks her to work on its version
of electric harp. She teaches harp in a Paris Conservatoire
from 1983 until 1996. She collaborates
with Leonard Cohen’s I’m Your
Man, François Elie Roulin’sInitial
Numbers, Hector Zazou’s Sahara
Blue andSongs From The Cold Sea, alongsideJohn
Cale and Ryuchi Sakamoto.
1990-1998- Her composing
skills are ackowledged by Chris Blackwell’s (Bob
Marley’s producer) publishing division, Blue
Mountain Music, which signs her in 1995. Based in London,
she is commissioned to write the « ambiant » album Innocenti (released
on Universal/MCA/1998) which receives great reactions : «I ‘m
very impressed by the really musical feel of the whole thing…This
is one of the best produced thing I’ve heard in years» Brian
Eno, « A really beautiful work» John
Cale. In 1998, Valletti performs in London and tours Europe
as a support of Kitaro. She collaborates with Lauryn
Hill ‘s The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill, and Quantum
Dub Force album (Palm Pictures).
1999 - Based in
New York, she writes «out there» an
album of contemporary music.
2000 - She writes a Rap-Oper-Harp on
David, the harpist-poet of the Bible : «a harper».
2001- She
starts her latest work : «ORFEO, The Project» which
includes harpeXperienced (three albums centered around
the electric harp) and NYeXperienced (a
diary – written in 2002).
2003 – 2005 - She
comes back to Paris and focuses her work on harpeXperienced. She
composes the music for Volpone, played at the Avignon
Festival, and the music of Women World Reverie, a DVD
about women’s experimental cinema.
2006 – 2007 - She
writes the music for the Marithe & François
Girbaud website, advertisement campaign as well as a part
of the Fashion Show sound. She finishes harpeXperienced.
3CDs to be launched at the end of 2007
Today, Valletti plays
on the first prototype of the “solid body harp,” which
she commissioned Joel Garnier and Jakez François, directors
of Camac, to make in 1998. It is an electric harp
without a soundbox and with four outputs: bass, medium, treble
and general.
:: PRESS the magazine "Télérama"
/ paris
“Since
the 1980’s, Valletti has created an unique body of work around
the harp. From a classical background (1st
harp prize from the Marseille’s Conservatoire at the age
of 13, she studed composition in Berkeley, Ca.), this artist
has a passionate interest in sound research and she had her first
electric harp custom made. She performed one of her compositions
on the Camac’sMemory Harp*for
Pierre Boulez in '86. Her collaborations in the rock, electronic
and ethnic music genres are many. Valletti played in Europe, Japan,
Israel, USA and has worked on many albums with artists such
as : Léonard Cohen, Hector Zazou or Lauryn Hill. She made
a commissioned solo album «Innocenti» and was
signed in '95 in London with Chris Blackwell (Bob Marley’s
producer).
Orfeo,TheProject:harpeXperienced is
Valletti's latest project. The harp, triturated with FX and mixed
with her own voice opens in a startling universe where all her
past influences meet : classical, jazz, rock and electronic. It's
her own particular world: black, sultry and violenty feminine.»
*In
1986, Joel Garnier, director of Camac, created
the «Harpe à Mémoire». This visionary
instrument allows the harp to be played using an harmonic range
capacity that was impossible to achieve on the harp, until then.
It was an incredibly exciting tool, which unfortunately never became
more than a prototype.
projects:
::
O1ORFEO
THE PROJECT
PART
ONE :: THE MUSIC
harpeXperienced
This work is composed
of three albums
9EASY
SONGS The songs appeared from time to time, all along the
years
The
basic concept of HarpeXperienced was to push
the harp to its limits and destroy the sound enough to turn around
the image of the « angelic » harp, to create
a universe that was the expression of my inner self. All
the music, all the sounds would be made with the harp. To day
90 percent of the whole project is made with the harp. All
the unidentified sounds are harp ones.
is the quintessence of the
work that has started at the beginning of the 80’s.
In those days I was confronted to the difficulty sound
engineers had in order to manage the rich and profound resonances
of the harp when recording in studio or on stage when playing
with bands. So, I bought a Camac electric harp. At
the time, it was only a celtic harp (34 strings) which has a limited
harmonic range. I started playing around with FX machines.
By the end of the 80’s, I was still deepening the experiments
on an electrified concert harp (a 46 stringed one) I had
helped Camac to design. Encountering the jazz world, I practiced
improvisation more and more.
In 1991, I was commissioned to write and record a piece of «world» music
for a compilation of french composers, «NUNC Music».
That style was new to me and I embraced this new exercise as I
could experiment on machines I had not yet explored.
At the end of the 90’s, I discovered computers and the creative
boost these wonderful tools were bringing.
Until 1998, I had played on an instrument which although being
electrified, had a soundboard and only one output to plug
into an amplifier, and it was still difficult to manage the
sound when trying to boost it. In 1998, I asked Joel Garnier and
Jakez François (Camac directors) to make me a harp with
a flat soundboard, (like an electric guitar having no resonator
eased the control of the sound) and with four outputs :
bass, medium, treble plus a general. Separating the different frequential
fields allowed me to manage my sound in a more precise way.
In 2001, in New York, I started writing harpeXperienced the
musical side of «Orfeo, The Project».
I came back to Paris in 2003. I dived
deeper into the immense creative ocean computers were offering.
First I tried to find help. I would explain what I envisioned,
but my ideas were too chaotic, needed hours of experimentation,
on my own terms, at my own pace. I understood that I would only
be achieving my vision if I did it myself. I lost myself for hours
into this new universe of sound-sculpting.
::
O1ORFEOTHE
PROJECT
PART
TWO :: THE DIARY
NYeXperienced
New York - 1999-2002 a few episodes
of a woman-composer’s survival. Written in 2002, it is a
true story which has been fictionalized (ten percent fiction).
The main theme of the book is love. The TEXT WRITTEN IN THE CLINIC is
broken down into passages over 14 days.
On the 1st day, she has no idea why
she is in a clinic. If she wants to know why she is there, she
has to do what the « inspiring man » asks
of her. She has to remember what happened in the past. So, she
starts working on her memory. By the Fourteenth Day, she knows
what brought her there.
::But why was the CD on which this story is
burned, found in a North American forest ?
A HARP-OPER-HARP written in 2000 - this work was
concerned with promoting unity
David, universal hero, is loved, respected and praised by the religions
born from the Bible.
"David ::
harp-player and poet, was an icon of valletti’s childhood. This
opus is a mix of electronic and organic sounds combined with
songs, rap-poetry and original biblical texts. Orchestrations incorporate
diverse musical styles, combining contemporary music, dub
and rap, with powerfull classical themes and dazzling harp
playing.
Artists and celebrities from all facets of popular culture add
prestige to the project. They sing, rap or read the original text
from the Bible – relating the life of David – and the
Psalms.
Audiences, the world over, are familiar with the sacred biblical
text.
David’s Psalms (Songs to God) and the familiar refrain from
Psalm 23 : The Lord Is My Shepperd, I Shall Not Want… brings
on a deluge of universal memories that transcend all barriers."
/ Shana Swanson - movie producer
2000
Like Ulysses, Hamlet or Gilgamesh
David is a most unforgettable hero He is the boy who slew Goliath The man blinded by passion The musician who healed souls The poet who wrote the Psalms The sinner who asked for forgiveness The believer whose faith never failed His life is about the universal feelings
of Mankind
::
O3
iNNocenti
In 1995 valletti’s composing
skills were acknowledged by Chris Blackwell’s publishing
division, Blue Mountain Music, which signed her.
Based in London,she was commissioned
to write an «ambiant» album, Innocenti released
on Universal/MCA/1998.
The suitcases were never traced back. A while ago, through the Post, my brother received
the NYeXperiencedscript. There was no indication about who had found it and/or
who was sending it. It was sent to my brother because, when writing it, in 2002,
for the purpose of the story, I had mentionned his address on the script.
I use the opportunity
of this site to ask whom ever may have found anything linked to these suitcases to get in contact with me.
I will
soon put on the net a few photos I have of some of the Lost
Items. I thank in advance anyone who may have a clue on this matter". e.valletti
text:
virginia tryon-smilack, shana swanson, e.valletti
text editing: greg flood, fiona kynaston
b/w portraits: françoise ha van, marie ouaki, adrian boot
videos: benjamin donadieu, quentin de la
marzelle, e.valletti illustrations: e.valletti
art work and animations : ZOLTAN+ paris
san francisco
thanks to :
monique guetta, virginia tryon, shana swanson, pia maria norris,
paul kendall, norscq, patrice terres, coco blaffer, danielle mourthé,
sid et seb, christophe heral, titi chittaphong, muriel de la marzelle,
myriam eddeira, john skorupa, barry reynolds, the ouaki family,
alex grauer and almaz, frédérique et les 2 myriam,
eric hélène haya le tortorec, the sammons family,
the matthews family, isabelle lerhondel, john hall
special thanks to :
marithé et françois girbaud, françoise ha
van, nicolas pradat, quentin de la marzelle, jacques gavart
very special thanks to :
paul kendall, norscq - HarpeXperienced could not have been
completed without their talent and expertise – and Zoltan
for his artistic eye.
