Bettinelli, Bruno

Bettinelli, Bruno, respected Italian composer and teacher; b. Milan, June 4, 1913. He studied harmony and counterpoint with Paribeni and orchestration with Bossi at the Milan Cons., taking diplomas in piano in 1931 and in composition and conducting in 1937; then pursued advanced training in composition with Frazzi at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena (1940). In 1941 he joined the faculty of the Milan Cons., where he was a prof. of composition from 1957 until his retirement in 1979. In 1961 he was made a member of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome and of the Accademia di Luigi Cherubini in Florence. In his extensive output, he reveals particular skill in instrumental writing which reflects the best in the central European tradition with infusions of contemporary techniques, including the 12-tone method.

Works

Opera: II pozzo e il pendolo (1957; Bergamo, Oct. 24, 1967); La Smorfia (Corno, Sept. 30, 1959); Count Down (1969; Milan, March 26, 1970).orch.: Movimento sinfonico Nos. 1 (1938) and 2 (1945); Sinfonia da camera (1938); Corale ostinato (1938); Due invenzioni for Strings (1939); 7 syms. (1939; 1943; 1946; Sinfonia breve, 1954; 1975; 1976; 1978); 4 concertos (1940, 1951, 1964, 1988); Fantasia concertante for String Quartet and Orch. (1949); 2 piano concertos (1953, 1968); Musica for Strings (1958); Preludio elegiaco (1959); Episodi (1961); Concerto for 2 Pianos and Orch. (1962); Varianti (1970); Musica per 12 (1973); Studio (1974); Contrasti (1979); Divertimento for Harpsichord and Orch. (1979); Concerto for Guitar, Strings, and Vibraphone (1981); Violin Concerto (1982–83); Alternanze (1983); Omaggio a Stravinski] for Chamber Orch. (1984); Strutture for Strings (1985); Tre studi d’interpretazione for Strings (1986).chamber: 2 string quartets (1935, 1960); Cello Sonata (1951); Improvvisazione for Violin and Piano (1968); Studio da concerto for Clarinet (1971); Octet for 2 Flutes, Oboe, 2 Clarinets, 2 Bassoon, and Horn (1975); Violin Sonata (1980); Quintet for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, and Horn (1984); Ricercare a tre for Piano, Clarinet, and Cello (1988); Trio for Violin, Cello, and Piano (1991); piano pieces; organ music; guitar pieces. VOCAL: Messa di Requiem (1942–43); Cinque liriche di Montale for Soprano and Chamber Ensemble (1948); Sono una creatura, cantata for Chorus and Orch. (1971); In Nativitate Domini, cantata for Soprano and Orch. (1982); Terza Cantata for Chorus and Orch. (1982–83); Salmo IV, cantata for Chorus and Orch. (1992); many other choral pieces and songs.

Bibliography

N. Castiglioni, B. B. (Milan, 1955); E. Gabellich, Linguaggio Musicale di B. B. (Milan, 1989).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire