Program Note
An intriguing quirk of the English language is how food and food-related words are used to describe objects and experiences that aren’t food. A “spicy” or “crunchy” chord; a “sweet” melody; a “buttery” smooth line. How about expanding on this aspect, exploring the other tastes and words for mouthfeel? And how would it sound in the context of a wind symphony orchestra? Culinary Command explores the unique timbres of the wind symphony orchestra through gestures prescribed with expressive markings that relate back to taste or mouthfeel. Gestures follow one another, with sounds and tastes succeeding one another to create a peculiar sound world not intended to appeal but to explore qualities of taste.
Composer Biography
Francesco Rachetti is of Italian origin and raised in Perth, now a Melbourne resident. He began his studies in high school with the trumpet, eventually learning composition under the tutelage of Simon Kruit. In university, he would continue his studies, initially under James Ledger at the University of Western Australia, and then at the University of Melbourne. He likes to question and provoke through music. Specifically, he likes to provoke questions about art, politics, and philosophy, exploring the relationship between the audience and the artwork and the relationship between art and politics. His artistic influences primarily stem from 20th Century European Modernism, along with 19th Century Romanticism, Italian
opera, and Baroque music. Francesco is currently a Bachelor of Music Honours student at the University of Melbourne.