Malipiero, Riccardo
Malipiero, Riccardo
Malipiero, Riccardo, prominent Italian composer, pedagogue, administrator, and writer on music, nephew of Gian Francesco Malipiero; b. Milan, July 24, 1914. He received training in piano at the Milan Cons, (diploma, 1932) and in composition at the Turin Cons, (diploma, 1937) before completing his studies in composition in his uncle’s master classes in Venice (1937–39). Between 1945 and 1976 he was active as a music critic for various newspapers and magazines. In 1949 he organized the first congress on dodecaphonic music in Milan. From 1969 to 1984 he served as director of the Civico Liceo Musicale in Varese. He also lectured and gave master classes abroad. He was awarded the gold medals of Milan (1977) and Varese (1984) for his services to Italian music. As a composer, Malipiero adopted 12-tone procedures in 1945 but without doctrinaire proclivities. Among his books were G.S. Bach (Brescia, 1948), C. Debussy (Brescia, 1948; 2nd ed., 1958), Guida alla dodecafonia (Milan, 1961), and, with G. Severi, Musica ieri oggi (6 vols., Rome, 1970).
Works
dramatic: Minnie la Candida, opera (Parma, Nov. 19,1942); La Donna è mobile, opera buffa (1954; Milan, Feb. 22,1957); Battono alla Porta, television opera (Italian TV, Feb. 12, 1962; 1st stage perf., Genoa, May 24, 1963); L’ultima Eva, opera (1992–95). orch.: 2 piano concertos: No. 1 (1937) and No. 2 for Piano and Chamber Orch. (Fulda, Oct. 11, 1955); 3 Dances (1937); 2 cello concertos: No. 1 (1938) and No. 2 (1957; Milan, Oct. 30,1958); Balleto (1939); Piccolo concerto for Piano and Orch. (1945); 3 syms.: No. 1 (1949), No. 2, Sinfonia cantata, for Baritone and Orch. (1956; N.Y., Feb. 19, 1957), and No. 3 (1959; Miami, April 10, 1960); Violin Concerto (1952; Milan, Jan. 31, 1953); Studi (Venice, Sept. 11, 1953); Ouverture-Divertimento “del Ritorno” (Milan, Oct. 30, 1953); Concerto breve for Ballerina and Chamber Orch. (Venice, Sept. 11, 1956); Sonata for Oboe and Strings (1961; Naples, Jan. 4, 1962; also for Oboe and Piano, 1960); Concerto per Dimitri for Piano and Orch. (Venice, April 27, 1961); Nykteghersia (Besançon, Sept. 8, 1962); Cadencias (1964; Geneva Radio, Jan. 13,1965); Muttermusik (1965–66; Milan, Feb.28, 1966); Mirages (1966; RAI, Milan, Feb. 6, 1970); Carnet de notes for Chamber Orch. (1967; Milan, Feb. 4,1968); Cassazione II for Strings (London, Nov. 10, 1967; also for String Sextet); Rapsodia for Violin and Orch. (1967; Indianapolis, Nov. 16, 1972); Serenata per Alice Tully for Chamber Orch. (1969; N.Y., March 10, 1970); Concerto for Violin, Cello, Piano, and Orch. (1971; RAI, Milan, Jan. 16, 1976); Capriccio for Chamber Orch. (1972; Milan, Feb. 12, 1975); Concerto for 2 Pianos and Orch. (1974); Requiem 1975 (1975; Florence, Nov. 6, 1976); Due pezzi sacri (1976–77); Canti for Viola and Orch. (1978; Milan, May 17, 1982); Divertimento for Oboe, Bassoon, and Strings (1978; Milan, Jan. 14,1979); Preludio e rondo (1979); Composizione concertata for English Horn, Oboe, Oboe d’Amore, and Strings (Turin, Oct. 9, 1982); Notturno for Cello and Chamber Orch. (1983; Milan, Jan.29, 1984); Racconto (1985); Ombre for Chamber Orch. (1986; Milan, May 14, 1988). chamber:Musik I for Cello and 9 Instruments (1938); 3 string quartets: No. 1 (1941), No. 2 (Milan, Jan. 27,1954), and No. 3 (Florence, May 14,1960); Violin Sonata (1956; London, May 21, 1957); Piano Quintet (1957; London,March 1, 1960); Musica da camera for Wind Quintet (1959; N.Y., Feb. 18, 1960); Oboe Sonata (1960; Milan, May 4, 1961; also for Oboe and String Orch., 1961); Mosaico for Wind and String Quintets (1961; Munich, April 21,1964); Nuclei for 2 Pianos and Percussion (Venice, Sept. 7, 1966); Cassazione for String Sextet (1967; Siena, Sept. 2,1968; also as Cassazione II for Strings); Trio for Piano, Violin, and Cello (1968; Rome, Jan. 13,1970); Ciaccona di Davide for Viola and Piano (Washington, D.C., Nov. 20,1970); Fantasia for Cello (1970–71); Giber Folia for Clarinet and Piano (1973; Milan, April 30, 1974); Memoria for Flute and Harpsichord (1974); Winter Quintet for Clarinet and String Quartet (Venice, Oct. 17, 1976); Musica for 4 Cellos (1979; Turin, March 24, 1980); Diario for Oboe and String Trio (1981); Apresmirò for 11 Instruments (1981–82; Venice, May 5, 1984); Liebesspeil for Flute and Guitar (1982; Milan, Feb. 16,1983); Diario d’Agosto for Piano, Clarinet, and Cello (1985; Venice, March 26, 1986); Rinelcarlido for Oboe and Piano (1986); Mosaico secondo for Violin (1987). p i a n o :14 Invenzioni (1938); Musik for 2 Pianos (1939); Piccola musica (1941); Invenzioni (1949); Costellazioni (1965); Le Rondini de Alessandro (1971); Diario secondo (1985). vocal:Antico sole for Soprano and Orch. (1947); Cantata sacra for Soprano, Chorus, and Orch. (1947); Sette variazione su “Les Roses” for Soprano and Piano (1951); Cantata de natale for Soprano, Chorus, and Orch. (Milan, Dec. 21, 1959); 6 poesie di Dylan Thomas for Soprano and 10 Instruments (Rome, June 13, 1959); Motivi for Voice and Piano (1959); Preludio, Adagio e Finale for Voice and Percussion (Buenos Aires, Aug. 1,1963); In Time of Daffodils for Soprano, Baritone, and 7 Instrumentalists (Washington, D.C., Oct. 30, 1964); Due ballate for Voice and Guitar (1965; Milan, June 20, 1966); Monologo for Voice and Strings (1969; Milan, April 22, 1971); Go Placidly..., cantata for Baritone and Chamber Orch. (1974–75; N.Y., Nov. 10,1976); Tre frammenti for Voice and Piano (1979; Turin, Feb. 11, 1980); Loneliness for Voice and Orch. (1986–87; Rome, April 8, 1989); Vocal Quintet for Soprano and String Quartet (1988; Milan, Feb. 22,1994); Tre sonetti for Soprano and 10 Instruments (1989); Meridiana for Soprano and Chamber Orch. (1989–90; N.Y., Oct. 24, 1990); Lieder etudes for Soprano and Piano (1989–90; Mendrisio, Jan. 31, 1991; also for Soprano and Instrumental Ensemble, 1992); Dalla prigione un suono for Soprano, Baritone, Violin, Piano, Chorus, and Orch. (1992).
Bibliography
C. Sartori, R. M.(Milan, 1957); P. Franci et al, Piccolo omaggio a R. M.(Milan, 1964); C Sartori and P. Santi, Due tempi di R. M.(Milan, 1964); Omaggio a R. M.(It. and Eng., Milan, 1996).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire