«Where the old men used to sing»: Experiments in informed re-placing on the ària da nuòto of the Italian community of Rovinj-Rovigno (Croatia)

Abstract

This essay presents the results of research initiated in late 2022 on the ària da nuòto, a form of vocal polyphony specific to the Italian community of Rovinj-Rovigno (Croatia). A three-part male soloist singing tradition, reserved for the most skilled singers, the ària da nuòto owes its name (‘night song’) to its performance during the night or at dusk in specific locations of the town known for their distinctive acoustic and timbral qualities. While this aspect now belongs more to historical memory than to contemporary practice, it has been recovered and explored through collaboration with Alessio Giuricin and the vocal quartet Nuove Quattro Colonne, founded and directed by him. This approach, termed informed re-placement, combines re-enactment, research-led practice, audiovisual ethnography, and historical-archival investigation to foster a different performance perspective and a deeper understanding of this polyphonic form. In addition to highlighting two potential relationships between soundmaking and placemaking, this case study offers methodological reflections on the interaction between artistic experimentation and research, as well as its impact on processes of tradition and identity construction.