Petrassi, Goffredo
Petrassi, Goffredo
Petrassi, Goffredo, outstanding Italian composer and teacher; b. Zagarolo, near Rome, July 16, 1904. He went to Rome and had private piano lessons with Bastini, and then commenced the study of harmony with Donato (1925). He subsequently entered the Cons, di Santa Cecilia (1928), where he studied composition with Bustini (diploma, 1932) and organ with Germani (diploma, 1933). He taught at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia (1934–36), where he also received instruction from Molinari. He was general director of Venice’s Teatro La Fenice (1937–40). After teaching composition at the Cons, di Santa Cecilia (1939–59), he taught again at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia (1959–74), and also taught at Siena’s Accademia Musicale Chigiana (1966–67). He pubi, the vol. Autoritratto (Rome, 1991). Despite the late beginning, Petrassi acquired a solid technique of composition; the chief influence in his music was that of Casella; later he became interested in 12-tone procedures.
Works
dramatic: Opera: II Cordovano (1944–48; Milan, May 12,1949; rev. 1958; Milan, Feb. 18,1959); La morte dell’aria (1949–50; Rome, Oct. 24, 1950). ba11et: La follia di Orlando (1942–43; Milan, April 12, 1947); II ritratto di Don Chisciotte (1945; Paris, Nov. 21, 1947). orch.:Divertimento (1930); Ouverture da concerto (1931); Passacaglia (1931); Partita (1932; Rome, April 2, 1933); 8 concertos: No. 1 (1933–34; Rome, March 31, 1935), No. 2 (1951; Basel, Jan. 24, 1952), No. 3, Récréation concertante (1952–53; Aix-en-Provence Festival, July 23, 1953), No. 4 for Strings (1954; Rome, April 28, 1956), No. 5 (Boston, Dec. 2, 1955), No. 6, Invenzione concertata, for Brass, Strings, and Percussion (1956–57; London, Sept. 9, 1957), No. 7 (1961–64; Bologna, March 18, 1965), and No. 8 (1970–72; Chicago, Sept. 28, 1972); Piano Concerto (1936–39; Rome, Dec. 10, 1939); Flute Concerto (1960; Hamburg, March 7, 1961); Estri, chamber sym. for 15 Performers (Hanover, N.H., Aug. 2, 1967; as a ballet, Spoleto, July 11, 1968); Frammento (1983). chamber:Sinfonia, Siciliana e Fuga for String Quartet (1929); Introduzione e allegro for Violin and Piano (1933; also with 11 Instruments); Preludio, Aria e Finale for Cello and Piano (1933); Sonata da camera for Harpsichord and 10 Instruments (1948); Dialogo angelico for 2 Flutes (1948); Musica a 2 for 2 Cellos (1952); String Quartet (1958); Serenata for Flute, Viola, Double Bass, Harpsichord, and Percussion (1958); String Trio (1959); Serenata II, trio for Harp, Guitar, and Mandolin (1962); Musica di Ottoni for Brass and Timpani (1963); 3 per 7 for 3 Performers on 7 Wind Instruments (1966); Ottetto di Ottoni for 4 Trumpets and 4 Trombones (1968); Souffle for 1 Performer on 3 Flutes (1969); Elogio per un’Ombra for Violin (1971); Nunc for Guitar (1971); Ala for Flute and Harpsichord (1972); 4 odi for String Quartet (1973–75); Fanfare for 3 Trumpets (1974–76); Alias for Guitar and Harpsichord (1977); Sestina d’autunno for 6 Instruments (1981–82); Inno for 4 Trumpets, 4 Cornets, and Trombone (1984); Duetto for Violin and Viola (1985). Piano: Siciliana e marcetta for 2 Pianos (1930); Toccata (1933); Invenzioni for 2 Pianos (1944); Oh les beaux jours! (1976); Petite pièce (1976). vocal: 3 Choruses for Chorus and Small Orch. (1932); Psalm IX for Chorus, Strings, Brass, 2 Pianos, and Percussion (1934–36); Magnificat for Soprano, Chorus, and Orch. (1939); Coro di morti, dramatic madrigal for Men’s Chorus, Brass, Double Basses, 3 Pianos, and Percussion (Venice, Sept. 28,1941); 2 liriche di Saffo for Voice, and Piano or 11 Instruments (1941); Quattro inni sacri for Tenor, Baritone, and Organ (1942; also for Tenor, Baritone, and Orch., Rome, Feb. 22,1950); Noche oscura, cantata (Strasbourg, June 17, 1951); Nonsense for Chorus, after Edward Lear (1952); Propos d’Alain for Baritone and 12 Performers (1960); Sesto nonsenso for Chorus, after Edward Lear (1964); Mottetti per la Passione for Chorus (1966); Beatitudines, chamber oratorio for Baritone and 5 Instruments, in memory of Martin Luther King Jr. (Fiuggi, July 17, 1969); Orationes Christi for Chorus, Brass, 8 Violins, and 8 Cellos (1974–75; Rome, Dec. 6, 1975); Laudes creaturarum for Reciter and 6 Instruments (1982); Tre cori sacri for Chorus (1980–83); Kyrie for Chorus and Strings (1986; Rome, March 10, 1991).
Bibliography
J. Weissmann, G. P. (Milan, 1957; 2nd ed., 1980); C. Annibaldi, G. P.: Catalogo delle opere e bibliografia (Milan, 1971); G. Zosi, Ricerca e sintesi nell’opera di G. P. (Rome, 1978); E. Restagno, ed., P. (Turin, 1986); S. Sablich et al, A G. P., per i suoi 90 anni (It. and Eng.; Milan, 1994).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire