Alfredo Casella

Pianist and conductor Alfredo Casella (1883–1947), a prolific composer of early 20th century neoclassical music, was born in Turin. Alfredo entered the Conservatoire de Paris in 1896 to study piano under Louis Diémer and composition under Gabriel Fauré; in these classes, Lazare-Lévy, George Enescu and Maurice Ravel were among his fellow students. During World War I, he returned in Italy and began teaching piano at the Conservatorio Santa Cecilia in Rome. He was one of the best-known Italian piano virtuosos of his generation and together with Arturo Bonucci (cello) and Alberto Poltronieri (violin) he formed the Trio Italiano in 1930. This group played to great acclaim in Europe and America. Casella had his biggest success with the ballet La Giara, set to a scenario by Luigi Pirandello; other notable works include Italia, the Concerto Romano (commissioned by Rodman Wanamaker and premiered at the Wanamaker Auditorium in New York with the organ and Wanamaker collection of rare string instruments), Partita and Scarlattiana for piano and orchestra, the Violin and Cello Concerti, Paganiniana, and the Concerto for Piano, Strings, Timpani and Percussion. Amongst his chamber works, both Cello Sonatas are played with some frequency, as is the very beautiful late Harp Sonata, and the music for flute and piano. Casella also made live-recording player piano music rolls for the Aeolian Duo-Art system, all of which survive today and can be heard. In 1923, together with Gabriele D'Annunzio and Gian Francesco Malipiero, he founded an association to promote the spread of modern Italian music, the "Corporation of the New Music."