Title of the compilation: Futura. Poesia Sonora
Title: Arrigo Lora-Totino: Lo stato sono io (CD 5, Track 08)
Publisher: Cramps Records, Milano
Date: 1974 (1978 first issued on 7 records)
Medium: 5 CDs, released first on 7 records 30 cm
At the beginning of Lo stato soni io ("The state is me"), Arrigo Lora-Totino intones the famous quotation attributed to Louis XIV in a proud, dignified, powerful voice - an irrefutable statement. After the equally convincing variation of the same content in a different word order, Lora-Totino repeats individual words and then combines them in the most diverse ways possible in the Italian language.
The title phrase forms a consistent base, but the volume, speaking rate and character change. With his voice, Lora-Totino creates changing moods. He speaks sometimes elatedly, sometimes anxiously, then again firmly and confidently, and finally again doubtfully. At times he superimposes the muffled, urgent words "io" (I) and "sono" (am) several times.
Based on only one sentence, the author tells the story of a change of heart. In the fade-out at the end, the self-confident and self-important "The state is me" becomes a quieter, uncertain questioning "sono stato io?", "is it my fault?
BB