Fabrizio De André's "Il suonatore Jones": Masters' Poem on Freedom Set to Music
In the proem of the Spoon River Anthology, Edgar Lee Masters features the character of the old fiddler Jones in the section titled La collina. He embodies a life devoid of thoughts about "wife, relatives, money, love, or heaven." Jones plays for anyone who requests, dedicating himself to his craft without a focus on financial gain. Fabrizio De André adapted this poem into music, finding it difficult to capture a man who plays solely for enjoyment. He felt he compromised his artistry, as he is motivated by money, highlighting the contrast between Jones's liberty and the limitations of contemporary existence. Living to the age of ninety, Jones left behind joy, memories, and no regrets. The piece is illustrated by a 2005 creation from Cinzia Ghigliano and a watercolor by Giordano Prudente.
Fatti principali
- Edgar Lee Masters placed the old fiddler Jones in the proem of the Spoon River Anthology, in the section La collina
- Jones plays the violin for anyone who asks, on the street, at parties and for dancing girls, and above all for himself
- Fabrizio De André set the poem to music and called it the most difficult poem he had ever worked on
- The song belongs to the album Non al denaro non all'amore né al cielo
- De André said he felt he had betrayed his own art because he is a professional who works for money
- Two stanzas of the song are dedicated to freedom, first asleep and then awake, called "signorina libertà"
- De André substituted a flute for Masters' violin for metric reasons
- Jones dies at ninety without regrets, leaving hoarse laughter and beautiful memories
- Cinzia Ghigliano made a 2005 illustration of Il suonatore Jones and Giordano Prudente a watercolour
- The article is signed Jennifer Carretta for MIfacciodiCultura and published on Artspecialday
Entità
Artisti
- Edgar Lee Masters
- Fabrizio De André
- Cinzia Ghigliano
- Giordano Prudente
- Jennifer Carretta
- Jones
Istituzioni
- Spoon River Anthology
- Artspecialday
- MIfacciodiCultura
- YouTube
Luoghi
- Genoa
- Italy