Marianthi Fotopoulou, Aristotle University of Thesaloniki.
The live performance video recording of Giuseppe Verdi’s Messa da Requiem (1874), conducted by Teodor Currentzis in 2019 at the San Marco Church in Milan—where the work premiered—captures the ritualistic and prayerful atmosphere of the event, while the multi-camera production creates an intimate connection with the performers, placing the viewer in a ‘privileged’ position, almost inside the orchestra. Through a shot-by-shot analysis of the Requiem movement from this rendition, this study explores how the video medium with its structural (i.e. grammar, coherence) and meaningful interrelations between the compositional elements of camera frames, editing, sound, and the musical score, shapes our perception of the live event and conveys intended messages.
Special attention is given to the audiovisual ‘construction’ of liveness and immediacy, considering the implications of visual fragmentation through selective camera shots that align with the director’s aesthetic vision, as well as the limitations inherent in capturing live performance moments. Furthermore, the video analysis examines the comprehension of both the musical and conceptual aspects of the Requiem, with a focus on musical characteristics, like instrumental details, verses, harmony and its religious topos. Audiovisual components, including the projection of sonic space (i.e. echoes, dynamics, and acoustics) are examined in relation to the church’s setting. Finally, it investigates how sound and visual continuity contribute to the immersive experience, especially through the extensive use of close-ups that highlight the performers’ artistic status, facial expressions, gestures, and emotional states of spiritual reverence, thus deepening the connection between the audience and the performers.
Biography: Marianthi Fotopoulou is a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Music Studies at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece). Her dissertation focuses on “The Transformation of Classical Music Performance: The Case of Giuseppe Verdi’s Messa da Requiem (1874),” funded by the Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (H.F.R.I). Marianthi’s research interests are interdisciplinary, encompassing musicology, performance studies, audiovisual culture, cognitive science, and semiotics. She is also trained in Film Photography Direction through the Department of Film Studies at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (2023-2024). Marianthi has presented her work at international conferences in Greece, Poland, the UK, and Italy, and her paper, “Delving into Live Music Performance Video Recordings: The Case of Dies irae of Giuseppe Verdi’s Messa da Requiem by Teodor Currentzis,” was published in the proceedings of the 2022 conference “Text, Author, Audience: Forms of Reception from Antiquity to Modernity” (Verona, Italy). In addition to her research, Marianthi is a violinist and has been involved in a variety of artistic fields, including orchestra conducting, dance, and choral singing.