Manlio Sgalambro


Manlio Sgalambro was an Italian philosopher and writer, born in Lentini.

Biography

Philosophical production

Sgalambro did not have titles or degrees for business cards: how he became a writer of philosophy – whose books are translated into French, German and Spanish – is a mystery that he was not able to explain.
Beginning In 1945 he worked jointly with the review Prisma : the first writing is Paralipomeni all'irrazionalismo.
In 1947 he matriculated at the University of Catania:
From 1959 on along with Sebastiano Addamo, he wrote for the magazine Incidenze. His first article for the journal was Crepuscolo e notte. In the intervening period of time, he wrote for the journal Tempo presente.
In 1963, at the age of 39, he got married. The incomes coming from the citruses was not enough anymore, so he chose to integrate it by do a thesis for a degree and teaching at school.
In the late 1970s he 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:
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 meanwhile, 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 and printed some operas by Giulio Cesare Vanini and Julien Benda.

Collaboration with Battiato

In 1993 he encountered Franco Battiato, accidentally, during the presentation of a common friend's poetry book. After few days, Battiato asked him to a meeting to propose to him the libretto for the opus Il cavaliere dell'intelletto about Frederik II of Hohenstaufen:
From 1994 until his death he collaborated on almost everyone of Franco Battiato's projects. For him he wrote:
Starting in 1998 he penned song lyrics for Patty Pravo, Fiorella Mannoia, Carmen Consoli and Milva.
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 and Moon river, but even the ironic Me gustas tú.
In 2007 he lent his voice to the DC-9 airliner in Pippo Pollina's opera Ultimo volo, 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, sung with the Sardinian-English group Mab.

Discography

Album

Videoclips

Literature

Album

Movies

Music

Since 1996 he participates in almost every Franco Battiato's tours: