Arthur Petronio

Arthur Petronio: \nBorn Switzerland 1897. \nFrench-Italian musician, poet and painter. \nLived in Belgium and The Netherlands between 1910 and 1924 and since then in France. \nYoung violin virtuoso studying with Belgian master violinist Eugène Ysaÿe. \nPlayed solo violin for Belgian King Leopold II, at the age of 9. \nAttracted to the avant-garde and visionary ideas of Gesamtkunstwerk. \nDevelops and presents his “Verbophonie” in 1919, integrating sound poetry into regular music scores. \nFriend with Kandinsky, Mondrian, Cocteau and Picasso. \nPublished several avant-garde journals and poetry books with participation of like minded artists. \nWrote many scores for solo instruments, small ensembles, orchestral works, opera,… \nMet Henri Chopin in 1950 and extended his musical ideas with new possibilities of tape composition. \nHis one and only LP, now reissued by Metaphon, was originally published by the Belgian Igloo label in 1979. \nAn extravagant DIY montage of musique concrète and sound poetry. \nIn addition to Petronio’s voice several female readers/performers contribute to this theatre of voices as guest vocalists. \nAn album as unusual as his lifecycle.