Manlio Sgalambro

Manlio Sgalambro (9 December 1924 – 6 March 2014) was an Italian philosopher and writer, born in Lentini. He is know for his collaboration with Franco Battiato.

Biography
"Birth and death are the two uniquely real moments. The rest is dream, interrupted by some insignificant flashes of vigil."

- Manlio Sgalambro, Aria di Federico (from Il cavaliere dell'intelletto)

Philosophical production
Beginning In 1945, Sgalambro worked jointly with the review magazine Prisma (directed by Leonardo Grassi): the first writing was Paralipomeni all'irrazionalismo.

In 1947, he matriculated at the University of Catania: "I did not matriculate in Philosophy because I studied it by myself. I liked penal law and so I chose the faculty of Jurisprudence."

- Manlio Sgalambro

From 1959, along with Sebastiano Addamo, he wrote for the magazine Incidenze (founded by Antonio Corsano). His first article for the journal was Crepuscolo e notte (reprinted in 2011). Meanwhile, he wrote for the journal Tempo Presente (directed by Nicola Chiaromonte and Ignazio Silone).

In 1963, at the age of 39, he got married. He had five children (Elena, Simona, Riccardo, Irene, Elisa). The income from citrus orchards inherited from his father was no longer sufficient, so he chose to supplement it by undertaking a thesis for a degree and teaching.

In the late 1970s, Sgalambro began to organize his thoughts in systematic work. Then at the age of 55, he sent his first book, La morte del sole, to the editor Adelphi: "And it rested there for two years. But since I am done in this way, I did not ask anything. Then my wife received a call. They asked me to go to Milan, to forge contact with the editor."

- Manlio Sgalambro

In the following years, with the same editor, he published: Trattato dell'empietà, Anatol, Del pensare breve, Dialogo teologico, Dell'indifferenza in materia di società, La consolazione, Trattato dell'età, De mundo pessimo and La conoscenza del peggio e Del delitto.

In the early 1990s, with some friends he established a small editorial activity in Catania: De Martinis. On the inside, Sgalambro managed pamphlets, publishing a pair of works (Dialogo sul comunismo and Contro la musica) and printed some operas by Giulio Cesare Vanini and Julien Benda.

Collaboration with Battiato
In 1993, he encountered the musician Franco Battiato during the presentation of a common friend's poetry book. After a few days, Battiato asked to meet him to propose the libretto for the opus Il cavaliere dell'intelletto about Frederik II of Hohenstaufen: "A year ago I didn't know him. Since then we have been worked together. He claims to be just a philosopher, but according to me he is a talent that stimulates and enriches me. It seems impossible to me, today, returning to write the lyrics for my things."

- Franco Battiato

From 1994 until his death, he collaborated on almost every one of Franco Battiato's projects, including:
 * the libretti of the opera Il cavaliere dell'intelletto, Socrate impazzito, Gli Schopenhauer and Campi magnetici;
 * the lyrics of many pop music albums (L'ombrello e la macchina da cucire, L'imboscata, Gommalacca, Ferro battuto, Dieci stratagemmi, Il vuoto, etc.);
 * the screenplays of the movies Lost Love, Musikanten (about the last years of Beethoven's life) and Niente è come sembra, of the television transmission Bitte keine réclame and of the documentary Auguri don Gesualdo (about Gesualdo Bufalino).

Starting in 1998 he penned song lyrics for Patty Pravo (Emma), Fiorella Mannoia (Il movimento del dare), Carmen Consoli (Marie ti amiamo) and Milva (Non conosco nessun Patrizio).

In 2000, he published the single La mer, containing the cover of the famous song by Charles Trenet.

In 2001, he published the album Fun club, produced by Franco Battiato and Saro Cosentino, containing evergreen songs like La vie en rose (by Édith Piaf) and Moon river (by Henry Mancini), but even the ironic Me gustas tú (by Manu Chao).

In 2007, he lent his voice to the DC-9 airliner in Pippo Pollina's opera Ultimo volo ("Last flight"), about the 1980 loss of Itavia Flight 870 in the Ustica massacre.

In 2009, he published the single La canzone della galassia, containing the cover of The galaxy song (taken from Monty Python's The meaning of life), sung with the Sardinian-English group Mab.

Album

 * Fun club (Sony music entertainment Italy, 2001 – ).

Singoli

 * La mer (Sony music entertainment Italy, 2000).
 * Me gustas tú (Sony music entertainment Italy, 2001).
 * La canzone della galassia (Sony music entertainment Italy, 2009).

Videoclips

 * Tre poesie (2004).
 * La canzone della galassia (2009).

Literature

 * Arthur Schopenhauer, La filosofia delle università (Adelphi, 1992 – ISBN 978-88-459-0943-6).
 * Giulio Cesare Vanini, Confutazione delle religioni (De Martinis, 1993).
 * Julien Benda, Discorso coerente sui rapporti tra Dio e il mondo (De Martinis, 1994).
 * Giuseppe Tornatore, Una pura formalità (De Martinis, 1994).
 * Maurizio Cosentino, I sistemi morali (Boemi, 1998).
 * Ottavio Cappellani, La morale del cavallo: trattato dei cavalieri (Nadir, 1998).
 * Tommaso Ottonieri, Elegia sanremese (Bompiani, 1998).
 * Domenico Trischitta, Daniela Rocca: il miraggio in celluloide (Boemi, 1999).
 * Salvo Basso, Dui (Prova d'autore, 1999).
 * Manlio Sgalambro & Davide Benati, Segrete (La pietra infinita, 2001).
 * Mariacatena De Leo & Luigi Ingaliso, Nell'antro del filosofo: dialogo con Manlio Sgalambro (Prova d'autore, 2002 – ISBN 978-88-86140-99-7).
 * Manlio Sgalambro, Silvia Batisti & Rossella Lisi, Opus postumissimum: frammento di un poema (Giubbe rosse, 2002).
 * Manlio Sgalambro & Antonio Contiero, Dolore e poesia (La pietra infinita, 2003).
 * Vincenzo Mollica, Franco Battiato: l'alba dentro l'imbrunire (Einaudi, 2004).
 * Riccardo Mondo & Luigi Turinese, Caro Hillman: venticinque scambi epistolari con James Hillman (Bollati Boringhieri, 2004 – ISBN 978-88-339-1436-7).
 * Antonio Contiero, Galleria Buenos Aires (Aliberti, 2006 – ISBN 978-88-7424-151-4).
 * Luca Farruggio, Bugie estatiche (Il filo, 2006 – ISBN 978-88-7842-425-8).
 * Bruno Monsaingeon, Incontro con Nadia Boulanger (Rue Ballu, 2007 – ISBN 978-88-95689-04-3).
 * Cristina Valenti, Ustica e le sue arti: percorsi tra impegno creatività e memoria (Titivillus, 2007 – ISBN 978-88-7218-186-7).
 * Franco Battiato, In fondo sono contento di aver fatto la mia conoscenza (Bompiani & L'ottava, 2007).
 * Anna Vasta, I malnati (I quaderni del battello ebbro, 2007 – ISBN 978-88-86861-59-5).
 * Michele Falzone, Franco Battiato: la Sicilia che profuma d'oriente (Flaccovio, 2008 – ISBN 978-88-7804-440-1).
 * Arnold De Vos, Il giardino persiano (Samuele, 2009).
 * Angelo Scandurra, Quadreria dei poeti passanti (Bompiani, 2009 – ISBN 978-88-452-6328-6).
 * AA.VV., Catania: non vi sarà facile si può fare lo facciamo (ANCE, 2009).
 * Franco Battiato, Don Gesualdo: con i contributi di Manlio Sgalambro e Antonio Di Grado (Bompiani & Kasba comunicazioni, 2010).
 * Domenico Cipriano, Novembre (Transeuropa, 2010 – ISBN 978-88-7580-116-8).
 * Carlo Guarrera, Occhi aperti spalancati (Mesogea, 2011).

Album

 * Franco Battiato, L'ombrello e la macchina da cucire (EMI music Italy & L'ottava, 1995 – ).
 * Franco Battiato, L'imboscata (Polygram Italy & L'ottava, 1996 – ), released even in Spain as La emboscada (Polygram Italy & L'ottava, 1997 – ).
 * Franco Battiato, L'imboscata tour (Polygram Italy & L'ottava, 1997)
 * Franco Battiato, Gommalacca (Polygram Italy & L'ottava, 1998 – ).
 * Franco Battiato, Fleurs (Universal music Italy & L'ottava, 1999 – ).
 * Franco Battiato, Campi magnetici (Sony music entertainment Italy & L'ottava, 2000 – ).
 * Franco Battiato, Ferro battuto (Sony music entertainment Italy & L'ottava, 2001 – ), translated even in Spain as Hierro forjado (Sony music entertainment Italy & L'ottava, 2001 – ).
 * AA.VV., Invasioni (New scientist, 2001).
 * Franco Battiato, Fleurs 3 (Sony music entertainment Italy & L'ottava, 2002 – ).
 * Franco Battiato, Colonna sonora di Perduto amor (Sony music entertainment Italy & L'ottava, 2003 – ).
 * Alice, Viaggio in Italia (NuN entertainment, 2003 – ).
 * Franco Battiato, Last summer dance (Sony music entertainment Italy & L'ottava, 2003 – ).
 * Franco Battiato, Dieci stratagemmi: attraversare il mare per ingannare il cielo (Sony music entertainment Italy & L'ottava, 2004 – ).
 * Franco Battiato, Un soffio al cuore di natura elettrica (Sony music entertainment Italy & L'ottava, 2005 – ).
 * Franco Battiato, Il vuoto (Universal music Italy & L'ottava, 2007 – ).
 * Pippo Pollina, Ultimo volo: orazione civile per Ustica (Storie di note, 2007 – ).
 * Lilies on Mars, Lilies on Mars (Lilies on Mars, 2008).
 * Fiorella Mannoia, Il movimento del dare (Sony music entertainment Italy, 2008 – ).
 * Franco Battiato, Fleurs 2 (Universal music Italy & L'ottava, 2008 – ).
 * Alice, Lungo la strada (EMI music Italy, 2009).
 * Carmen Consoli, Elettra (Universal music Italy & Narciso records, 2009 – ).
 * Franco Battiato, Inneres Auge: il tutto è più della somma delle sue parti (Universal music Italy & L'ottava, 2009 – ).
 * Milva, Non conosco nessun Patrizio (Universal music Italy, 2010 – ).
 * Carmen Consoli, Per niente stanca (Universal music Italy & Narciso records).

Singles

 * Franco Battiato, Strani giorni (Polygram Italy & L'ottava, 1996 – ).
 * Franco Battiato, Shock in my town (Polygram Italy & L'ottava, 1998 – ).
 * Franco Battiato, Il ballo del potere (Polygram Italy & L'ottava, 1996).
 * Franco Battiato, Running against the grain (Sony music entertainment Italy & L'ottava, 2001 – ).
 * Alice, Come un sigillo (NuN entertainment, 2003).
 * Franco Battiato, Il vuoto (Universal music Italy & L'ottava, 2007).
 * Franco Battiato, Tutto l'universo obbedisce all'amore (Universal music Italy & L'ottava, 2008).
 * Franco Battiato, Inneres Auge (Universal music Italy & L'ottava, 2009).

Songs

 * L'ombrello e la macchina da cucire (1995 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Breve invito a rinviare il suicidio (1995 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Piccolo pub (1995 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Fornicazione (1995 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Gesualdo da Venosa (1995 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Moto browniano (1995 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Tao (1995 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Un vecchio cameriere (1995 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * L'esistenza di Dio (1995 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Di passaggio (1996 – lyrics by Franco Battiato and Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Strani giorni (1996 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * La cura (1996 – lyrics by Franco Battiato and Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Ein Tag aus dem Leben des kleinen Johannes (1996 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Amata solitudine (1996 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Splendide previsioni (1996 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro and Fleur Jaeggy; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Ecco com'è che va il mondo (1996 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Segunda-feira (1996 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Memoria di Giulia (1996 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Serial killer (1996 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Decline and fall of the Roman empire (1996 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Shock in my town (1998 – lyrics by Franco Battiato and Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Auto da fé (1998 – lyrics by Franco Battiato and Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Casta diva (1998 – lyrics by Franco Battiato and Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Il ballo del potere (1998 – lyrics by Franco Battiato and Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * La preda (1998 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Il mantello e la spiga (1998 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * È stato molto bello (1998 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Quello che fu (1998 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Vite parallele (1998 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * E.Shackleton (1998 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro and Fleur Jaeggy; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Stage door (1998 – lyrics by Franco Battiato and Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Emma (1998 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * L'incantesimo (1998 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Medievale (1999 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Invito al viaggio (1999 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Running against the grain (2001 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro and Franco Battiato; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Bist du bei mir (2001 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro and Franco Battiato; music by Franco Battiato).
 * La quiete dopo un addio (2001 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro and Franco Battiato; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Personalità empirica (2001 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro and Franco Battiato; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Il cammino interminabile (2001 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Lontananze d'azzurro (2001 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro and Franco Battiato; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Sarcofagia (2001 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Scherzo in minore (2001 – lyrics by Franco Battiato and Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato, Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli).
 * Il potere del canto (2001 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Invasione di campo (2001 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro; music by Luca Nuzzolo).
 * Come un sigillo (2002 – lyrics by Franco Battiato and Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Tra sesso e castità (2004 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro and Franco Battiato; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Le aquile non volano a stormi (2004 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro and Franco Battiato; music by Kinimori Yajima and Franco Battiato).
 * Ermeneutica (2004 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro and Franco Battiato; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Fortezza Bastiani (2004 – lyrics by Franco Battiato and Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Odore di polvere da sparo (2004 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato and Krisma).
 * Conforto alla vita (2004 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * 23 coppie di cromosomi (2004 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato and Krisma).
 * Apparenza e realtà (2004 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro and Franco Battiato; music by Franco Battiato and Krisma).
 * La porta dello spavento supremo (2004 – lyrics by Franco Battiato and Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Il vuoto (2007 – lyrics by Franco Battiato and Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * I giorni della monotonia (2007 – lyrics by Franco Battiato and Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Aspettando l'estate (2007 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Niente è come sembra (2007 – lyrics by Franco Battiato and Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Tiepido aprile (2007 – lyrics by Franco Battiato and Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * The game is over (2007 – lyrics by Franco Battiato and Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Io chi sono (2007 – lyrics by Franco Battiato and Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Stati di gioia (2007 – lyrics by Franco Battiato and Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Il movimento del dare (2008 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro and Franco Battiato; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Tutto l'universo obbedisce all'amore (2008 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Tibet (2008 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro and Franco Battiato; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Marie ti amiamo (2009 – lyrics by Franco Battiato, Carmen Consoli and Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato and Carmen Consoli).
 * Inneres Auge (2009 – lyrics by Franco Battiato and Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 *  'U cuntu (2009 – lyrics by Franco Battiato and Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato).
 * Non conosco nessun Patrizio (2010 – lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro; music by Franco Battiato and Juri Camisasca).

Movies

 * Franco Battiato, Perduto amor (L'ottava & Sidecar, 2003 – ).
 * Franco Battiato, Musikanten (L'ottava & RAI cinema, 2005 – ).
 * Franco Battiato, Niente è come sembra (Bompiani & L'ottava, 2007 – ISBN 978-88-452-5978-4).

Documentaries

 * Daniele Consoli, La verità sul caso del signor Ciprì e Maresco (Zelig, 2004).
 * Guido Cionini, Manlio Sgalambro: il consolatore (Nexmedia, 2006).
 * Franco Battiato, Auguri don Gesualdo (Bompiani & Kasba comunicazioni, 2010 – ISBN 978-88-452-6586-0).

Videos

 * Franco Battiato, L'ombrello e la macchina da cucire (1995).
 * Franco Battiato, Di passaggio (1996).
 * Franco Battiato, Strani giorni (1996).
 * Franco Battiato, Shock in my town (1998).
 * Franco Battiato, Running against the grain (2001).
 * Franco Battiato, Bist du bei mir (2001).
 * Franco Battiato, Ermeneutica (2004).
 * Franco Battiato, La porta dello spavento supremo (2004).
 * Franco Battiato, Il vuoto (2007).
 * Franco Battiato, Inneres Auge (2009).

Theater

 * Manlio Sgalambro & Franco Battiato, Il cavaliere dell'intelletto: opera in due atti per l'ottocentenario della nascita di Federico II di Svevia (1994).
 * Manlio Sgalambro & Franco Battiato, Socrate impazzito (1995).
 * Manlio Sgalambro & Franco Battiato, Gli Schopenhauer (1998).
 * Igor Stravinsky, L'histoire du soldat (1999).
 * Franco Battiato, Campi magnetici: i numeri non si possono amare (2000).
 * Pippo Pollina, Ultimo volo: orazione civile per ustica (2007).
 * Manlio Sgalambro, Carlo Guarrera & Rosalba Bentivoglio, Frammenti per versi e voce (2009).

Television

 * Franco Battiato, Bitte keine réclame (2004).

Music
"Ταυτο τενι ζων και τεθνηκος και εγρηγορος και καθευδον και νεον και γηραιον ταδε γαρ μεταπεσοντα εκεινα εστι κακεινα παλιν ταυτα."
 * In Di passaggio (from L'imboscata) he declaims in ancient Greek:

- Heraclitus, Fragments

"I invite you to the voyage in the land that is like you. The misty sunlights of those cloudy skies have for my spirit the charm of your treacherous eyes, shining brightly. There all is order and beauty, luxury, peace, and pleasure; the world falls asleep in a warm glow of light; see on the canals those vessels sleeping: their mood is adventurous to satisfy your slightest desires."
 * In Invito al viaggio (from Fleurs) he declaims (in Italian):

- Charles Baudelaire, Les fleurs du mal

"If, in speaking of my points, I think of some system of things, e.g., the system: love, law, chimney-sweep… and then assume all my axioms as relations between these things, then my propositions, e.g., Pythagoras' theorem, are also valid for these things."
 * In Corpi in movimento (from Campi magnetici) he declaims (in Italian):

- David Hilbert, Letter to Frege of 29 December 1899

Since 1996 he participates in almost every Franco Battiato's tours: "Bacterium flourescens liquefaciens, Bacterium histolyticum, Bacterium mesentericum, Bacterium sporagenes, Bacterium putrificus…"
 * In '97 he declaims in Latin on Battiato's song Areknames (from Pollution), renamed for the occasion Canzone chimica:

- Manlio Sgalambro, Canzone chimica


 * In 2002 he sings a new version – with lyrics adapted philosophically – of Accetta il consiglio (taken from The big Kahuna), published the next year in live album Last summer dance.

Cinema

 * In Perduto amor he acts Martino Alliata, philosophy teacher of the leading character (Corrado Fortuna).
 * In Musikanten he acts a noble man from Siena.

Theater

 * In L'histoire du soldat and in Campi magnetici he is the narrator.