Filippo Ledda

I Pescatori di Trepang (The Trepang Fishers)

The Trepang Fishers (1896) is a novel by Salgàri set between Papua and Australia. It follows Dutch sailors facing cannibals, storms, and shipwrecks. Filippo Ledda transforms the story into a musical piece in four parts, capturing the entire journey within a single day

"The Trepang Fishers" is a novel written by Emilio Salgàri in 1896. Set in the seas of Papua and along the Australian coasts, it tells the story of a group of Dutch sailors who, in an attempt to get rich by fishing the valuable trepang (which is nothing more than the sea cucumber, also known as holothurian), come into contact with dangerous and ruthless cannibal Aboriginal tribes.Filippo Ledda translates Salgàri's story into music within the space of a single day.

The composition, divided into seamlessly connected sections, marks the (mis)adventures of the fishermen in four parts, all very different in character, style, and rhythm:

1. At Dawn (In the Gulf of Carpentaria): the schooner sails swiftly through the warm southern seas, the fishing is plentiful, and everything seems to be going well. But dark omens spark tension among the crew.

2. At Noon (The Attack of the Aborigines): once on land to prepare the trepang for preservation, the sailors are attacked by hundreds of furious savages. With the battle cry "Komoé!", and vastly outnumbered, the fierce resistance of the fishermen is crushed. It is a massacre.

3. In the Afternoon (The Hurricane): the few survivors flee aboard the schooner and try to escape the coast as fast as possible. But the boat, damaged by the aborigines, is caught in a sudden tropical storm — a desperate struggle begins.

4. At Sunset (Homeward Bound): after a shipwreck, pirate chases, crocodile attacks, and many other trials, the sailors recover a canoe and finally set course for the safe harbor of Timor. It seems the end credits are rolling. But are the dangers truly over?