The theatre of the Italy Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka has hosted the world premiere of a unique concert - 'The sound of heat - fire, water, earth, air'.
The absolute protagonist was a digital electric furnace used as a musical instrument in a chamber opera for soprano, oboe, Q-one, piano and a percussion ensemble.
The innovative electric power system of the furnace is an avant-garde technology entirely developed by the Danieli Group through its controlled Danieli Automation company, a real revolution within the steel sector.
This technology, "which is the only one in the world allowing to change frequencies during the fusion phase, made me think" that it was "time to do something more, in other words the heavy steel industry also needed to be able to compose a few musical pieces", said Antonello Mordeglia, the CEO of Danieli Automation who wrote the opera's lyrics.
The Italy Pavilion "is exactly the best place" to perform this concert, stressed Mordeglia.
The music was written by composer and oboist Arnaldo De Felice.
Indeed it was a meeting between the duo that gave life to the opera as Mordeglia's dramaturgy was in fact inspired by a visit to the production departments of a steel plant in Japan.
"The meeting with Antonello Mordeglia was fundamental, of great inspiration and emotional impact", noted De Felice.
"The search for a new musical instrument for this composition was a success", he added.
The music is inspired by the strong intensity and the contrast between the colours black and red, "like when steel melts and the whole light is absorbed by darkness, like the red and black oeuvres by Anish Kapoor", added the music's composer.
The concert also starred soprano Sabina von Walher, who has performed as a soloist at Milan's La Scala Theatre with conductor Riccardo Muti, pianist Giulio Garbin and the ensemble Ichos Percussion.
The chamber orchestra was directed by Gianmaria Romanenghi, a conductor and percussionist who graduated summa cum laude from the Conservatorio music academy in Milan.
Maestro Romanenghi has won several national and international awards.
He has cooperated, among others, with the La Scala Theatre Orchestra, the Arena of Verona and the Carlo Felice Opera of Genoa.
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