Paris, Abril 2015
1. Ruth Prieto: What is composition for you in this day and age?
Simone Movio: Composition is the way, a sort of congenial way for me, to looking for the essence of things, my possible path to achieve it; I hope something of it could touch other people, even if only on a microscopic part of them. Of course this activity concerns deeply discover ourselves.
2. Ruth Prieto: What inspires you as a composer and why?
Simone Movio: A lot of things from many sources, but finally every multitude could be reduced to a synthesis which is the essence.
So in books, paintings, art in general I look for it, the essence is finally the idea, which does not concern the matter, it is pure non temporal idea which could drive us, as a real door, to a sort of elsewhere.
3. Ruth Prieto: Can you define «contemporary»? And in which way Simone Movio is “contemporary”?
Simone Movio: I cannot really define <<contemporary>>, I´m contemporary in the way I use what I need from what humanity has developed until nowadays: what I could think and do is the result of a long process, in that way I´m contemporary.
4. R.P. : What is your main obsession when working?
Simone Movio: To work deeply enough, to pull down decorations.
5. R.P. : How is your creative process?
Simone Movio: The idea comes as a sort of synthesis, which is something affine to the sound but also something else, an architectural form but also something which concerns a dimension of enchantment, something similar to poetical language but also far from it.
"The compositional process, which needs a firm will power, is the way to pull it into reality, to “dress” the incorporeal idea, to interlace its Tunica."
6. R.P. : What are you working on now?
Simone Movio: Primarily on myself, to pull down the subjective vanities. Then, talking about musical tangible facts, I´m working on my first opera, a duo for tenor sax and piano, a sextet for fl, cl, vln, vla, vc, pf .
7. R.P.: What are your musical roots (real or imaginary)?
Simone Movio: I started as a guitarist, because my old brother played that instrument, the electric guitar. One day, almost for a curious case, I put a Bach Cd on my player, just because it was there: what an incredible shock. I remember very well it was the First Brandemburg Concerto, after that nothing could be as before: I immediately switched to classical guitar, than to composition.
8. R.P.: What virtues does a composer have to have? And defects?
Simone Movio: Maybe trying to not only meets basic needs through his own work, not to approach too much to everyday life facts, to the matter, with composition. So: to have an active and strong imaginative activity.
Defects: if we could really detect them, it would already be a virtue.
9. R.P.: If you had not been a composer, what would you like to have been?
Simone Movio: I have no idea, this is actually my path.
10. R.P.: What has your greatest extravagance been?
Simone Movio: I don´t really know.
11. R.P.: What does music contribute to education?
Simone Movio: Music is essential for the education, is one of the most powerful ways to be introduced to contemplation, to finally look to our inner state.
12. R.P. : What is silence?
Simone Movio: Silence is a wonder, very difficult to achieve, which we could really find only in our inner state.
13. R.P. : Who would you rescue from the past?
Simone Movio: Who or what I would rescue could not be rescued by me, because he/it rescues him/itself in any time.
14. R.P. : What´s interesting about the present?
Simone Movio: Doing deeply what you have to do, any activity, to be really present on it.
15. R.P. : What do you expect from the future?
Simone Movio: I try to concentrate on the present, to do as best I can what I´m doing, just its projection could be an imaginary future: so I hope to be strong enough to follow rightly this sort of projection.
16. R.P. : What would be your advice to a young composer?
Simone Movio: To create solid roots, to have solid composition studies, not only musical ones, I don´t mean academic, but it is not possible to avoid traditional composition studies: counterpoint, harmony, etc. If you want to deconstruct something first you need to construct it from a solid ground.
Today it is possible to study every day with the great Masters of Humanity, on their works, composing you will also learn by yourself.
Then: to be honest with yourself, so with the others, to work with gratitude and trust.
17. R.P. : Which musician(s) or work(s) have made an impression on you as a composer?
Simone Movio: From the past: really a lot, but it could be superficial and maybe pretentious to list them. From the present, personally and musically: Beat Furrer, an exceptional individuality
18. R.P. : Have you got any eccentricities when composing?
Simone Movio: I don´t really know.
19. R.P. : A "must" film
Simone Movio: I´m not too connected with cinema, but I think a good one could be “Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring” by Kim Ki Duk.
20. R.P. : Recommend us a book
Simone Movio: Just one book is too difficult, I recommend the Rudolf Steiner´s and Massimo Scaligero´s ones.
21. R.P.: A song that puts right an off day
Simone Movio: Not a song, but for me is “Kyrie, Gott heiliger Geist” BWV 671, an incredible creation, or in general any Bach.
22. R.P.: What have you not yet been asked to do in music?
Simone Movio: I don´ know. If I really need to do something I don´t wait for requests.
23. R.P. : What would Simone Movio say about Simone Movio?
Simone Movio: Hard to say, maybe just that at this point I´m not still able to really know myself. Thank you very much!
Simone Movio, Paris, Abril 2015
La foto de Simone es cortesía del compositor