Irony as a poetic weapon ignites both the personal history and the stories of Amélie Nothomb, and it informs their structure as well. Reading her work, I recognize how this perspective on life and events is an end point, a goal. Something to take very seriously, before joining in the fun and the liberating laughter. In particular, The Character of Rain treats us to the compelling, absolute gaze of a very young child upon things and the world. It fixes us in the here and now of a small, fierce creature who demands to know the reasons for everything from her point of view. I am very grateful to Nicola Campogrande for dedicating to Emanuele Arciuli and myself such an explosive, unique work; he has found a source of inspiration for intense, scintillating dialogue in Nothomb’s language. Irony, in music, can be a subtle, cutting voice. A luxury to which Nicola Campogrande and Emanuele Arciuli definitely possess the key. For my part, I am pleased to be offered access to a portal leading to a fresh encounter of musical theater with audiences.

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