San Antonino II

San Antonino music for the port of Mar del Plata

On Sunday, December 1, 2019, at 12:00 pm sharp, the port of the city of Mar del Plata will become a great concert hall facing the sea. Four (4) boats, each crewed with musicians and sirens, plus two (2) ensembles of horns and whistles (positioned on the southern and northern breakwaters); two (2) cars with sirens (moving along the southern breakwater); one (1) sound system positioned at the “Cristo” statue on the southern breakwater, and the sounds of the vessels of the Naval Base, will together compose San Antonino, a musical action aimed at announcing that the port of Mar del Plata holds a sonic and social heritage that must be preserved.

Taking part in the project: “Ensamble Negra40,” directed by Mariano Losi (aboard the “Milenia”); the group “Creciente,” which will crew “El Luisito,” the training vessel of the Escuela Nacional de Pesca “Luis Piedra Buena”; Yamandú Rodríguez together with the “Ensamble UDLI” from Buenos Aires, aboard the ANAMORA; the percussion ensemble “El Recicle,” led by Facundo Passeri, sounding from the northern breakwater; Leandro Kurfirst, in charge of the electronics; Araceli Coty, reciting; Ingrid Bretschneider, singing from the “Cristo” out across the whole port; along with musicians Javier Bustos, Lucía Drocchi, Juan Litrica, Julián Teubal, Camila Juárez and Laura Novoa. Manuel Morilla will direct the whole navigation, and the piece’s composer, Martín Virgili, will direct the southern ensemble, made up of various artists from the city.

San Antonino can best be appreciated from the northern breakwater (preferably), from the southern breakwater, and from the water. The Anamora cruise will make a special departure that day for those who want to experience it from the very heart of its sounds. The composition is organized in movements. These are: Andante of sirens with marcato of horns and whistles, Vocazioni animate of the breakwaters, emotivo Proclamation to the Port of Mar del Plata, Entrata trionfale of the boats, Passerella a filo of flags and handkerchiefs, Danza delle barche with a poem to the founding families, Grande cadenza, Fisherman’s song: Madonnina del mare, Homage. Omaggio solenne, Beloved Mar del Sur, ti ricordiamo con i fiori, Grande finale, maestoso ed esplosivo, with fireworks, shouts, choirs e luci.

San Antonino is a musical project with a strong heritage imprint. The composition is driven by the deteriorating condition of Mar del Plata’s traditional yellow boats and the port’s other tangible and intangible heritage assets. Without losing sight of the festive character of popular music, San Antonino also seeks to draw attention to the territory of the port and its material circumstances — that is: its sounds, its practices, its history, its social relationships, its symbols.

For more information: martinvirgili.com.ar/proyectos/san-antonino

2018 recording Photo: Horacio Volpato