Clementi, Aldo

Clementi, Aldo, prominent Italian composer and pedagogue; b. Catania, May 25, 1925. He began training in piano at age 13 and in composition at age 16 in Catania. He pursued piano studies with Giovanna Ferro at the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia in Rome (diploma, 1946), and then attended Scarpini’s master class at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena (1947). From 1945 to 1952 he also studied composition with Alfred Sangiorgi in Catania and Bolzano, who introduced him to 12–tone writing. Following further composition studies with Petrassi at the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia (1952–54; diploma, 1954), he attended the summer courses in new music at Darmstadt (1955–62) and was active at the Studio di Fonologia in Milan (1956–62). From 1971 to 1992 he taught theory at the Univ. of Bologna. Among his honors were first prize in the ISCM competition in 1963 for his Sette scene for Chamber Orch. and the Abbiati Prize in 1992 for his opera Interludi: Musica per il Mitro di Eco e Narciso. Clementi is one of the leading avant–garde composers of Europe. As such, he sees his main task as that of creating works which fulfill his vision of contemporary music as a vehicle for the dissolution of music as we know it.

Works

DRAMATIC: College, azione musicale (Rome, May 14, 1962); Blitz, azione musicale (Royan, April 18, 1973); Collage 4, azione mimo–visiva (1979; Florence, May 30, 1981); Finale, azione lirica (Rome, Oct. 13, 1984); Interludi: Musica per il Mito di Eco e Narciso, opera (Gibellina, July 23, 1992); Carillon, opera (1994; Milan, Oct. 16, 1998). orch.:Tre studi for Chamber Orch. (1956–57; Darmstadt, July 27, 1957); Episodi (1958; Brussels Radio, Jan. 13, 1959); Sette scene for Chamber Orch. (1961; Florence, May 20, 1964); Informel (1961–63; Palermo, Oct. 1, 1963); Variante B (1963; Venice, Sept. 12, 1964); Sinfonia da camera for Chamber Orch. (Milan, April 21, 1974); Concerto for Piano, 24 Instruments, and 12 Carillons (1975; Milan, Feb. 12, 1976); Concerto for Double Bass, Orch., and 12 Carillons (Royan, March 21, 1976); Clessidra for Chamber Orch. (Bergamo, May 22, 1976); Concerto for Violin, 40 Instruments, and 12 Carillons (Brescia, June 8, 1977); Capriccio for Viola and 24 Instruments (1979–80; RAI, Naples, April 4, 1980); Halleluja (RAI, Naples, Oct. 8, 1982); Das Alte Jahr for Chamber Orch. (Milan, April 27, 1985); O du selige (RAI, Naples, Dec. 6, 1985); Berceuse (1989); Romanza for Piano and Orch. (RAI, Rome, March 16, 1991). chamber: Flute Sonatina (1950; Bergamo, June 6, 1983); Sonata for Trumpet, Guitar, and Piano (1955; Zurich, June 2, 1957); Concertino in form di variazioni for 9 Instruments (1956; London, May 27, 1957); Ideogrammi 1 for 16 Instruments (1959; Palermo, May 13, 1960) and 2 for Flute and 17 Instruments (1959; Venice, Sept. 21, 1960); Triplum for Flute, Oboe, and Clarinet (1960; Darmstadt, Sept. 2, 1961); Informel 1 for 11 Instrumentalists (1961; Venice, Sept. 6, 1970) and 2 for 15 Instruments (1962; Venice, April 16, 1963); Reticolo: 11 for 11 Instruments (Venice, Sept. 6, 1966), 4 for String Quartet (1968; Warsaw, Sept. 28, 1969), and 12 for 12 Strings (1970; Como, Sept. 20, 1971); Intermezzo for 14 Instruments and Prepared Piano (Naples, June 17, 1977); Sphinxs for Violin, Viola, and Cello (Naples, June 15, 1978); String Quartet (1978; Venice, Oct. 1, 1979); L’Orologio di arceua for 13 Instrumentalists (Venice, Sept. 30, 1979); Pastorale en Rondeau for 2 Violins, Viola, Harpsichord, and Carillons (Perugia, June 21, 1981); Concerto for 16 Instruments (1981–82; Champigny, April 18, 1983); Aeb for 17 Instruments (RAI, Naples, May 13, 1983); Adagio for Quintet and Prepared Piano (Naples, Nov. 22, 1983); Ouverture for 12 Instruments (Chiusa di Chianciano, July 22, 1984); Scherzo for Flute, Clarinet, Violin, and Viola (1985; Zurich, Nov. 22, 1987); Concerto for Piano and 14 Instruments (1986; Genoa, Feb. 2, 1987); Prélude: Hommage à Ravel for 12 Instruments (Montpellier, July 21, 1987); Fantasia for 4 Guitars (Sermoneta, June 24, 1988); Cantabile for 12 Instrumentalists (Siena, Aug. 23, 1988); Sei canoni for Flute and Harpsichord (1990); 1492 for 16 Instruments (Latina, June 30, 1992); Settimino for 7 Instruments (Milan, April 22, 1993); C.A.G. for Flute, Violin, Vibraphone, and Guitar (Bologna, May 4, 1993); ...Im Himmelreich for 9 Instruments (Amsterdam, May 16, 1994); G.F.F.... for 5 Instruments (Rome, May 18, 1994); Albumblatt for Flute, Guitar, and Vibraphone (Rome, May 29, 1995); ”C.A.B.E.” for Flute and Violin (Sermoneta, June 9, 1995); piano pieces; organ music. VOCAL: Due poesie for Voice and Piano (1946); Cantata for Reciter, Soprano, Chorus, and Chamber Orch. (1954); Variante A for Chorus and Orch. (1964; Venice, Sept. 9, 1976); Silben for Woman’s Voice, Clarinet, Violin, and 2 Pianos (1966; Rome, March 1, 1968); Otto frammenti for Soprano, Countertenor, Organ, Lute, and Viola da Gamba (Naples, June 17, 1978); Im Frieden dein, O Herré mein for 8 Voices (Bologna, Sept. 7, 1980); Cent sopir s for Chamber Chorus and Orch. (RAI, Rome, April 16, 1983); Ach ich fiihl’s for Voice and 15 Instruments (Milan, April 21, 1985); Mottetto su re, mi... for 18 Women’s Voices (1989); Cantilena for Voice and Double Bass (1989–90); The Plaint for Woman’s Voice and 13 Instruments (Melbourne, May 22, 1992); Rapsodia for Soprano, Contralto, and Orch. (Stuttgart, April 24, 1994); Vocalizzo for Voice and Instrumental Groups (Sermoneta, June 10, 1994). electronic:Collage 2 (1960; Venice, April 15, 1962) and 3: Dies irae (1966–67; RAI, Aug. 27, 1967); Studio per una passacaglia (Milan, May 3, 1993).

Bibliography

R. Cresti, A. C: Studio monografico e intervista (Milan, 1990).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire