Rieti, Vittorio

Rieti, Vittorio , Italian-born American composer and teacher; b. Alexandria, Egypt, Jan. 28, 1898; d. N.Y., Feb. 19, 1994. He studied with Frugatta in Milan, then took courses with Respighi and Casella in Rome, where he lived until 1940, when he emigrated to the U.S.; he became a naturalized American citizen on June 1, 1944. He taught at the Peabody Cons. of Music in Baltimore (1948–49), Chicago Musical Coll. (1950–53), Queens Coll. in N.Y. (1958–60), and N.Y. Coll. of Music (1960–64). His style of composition represents an ingratiating synthesis of cosmopolitan modern tendencies.

Works

DRAMATIC: Opera: Orfeo tragedia (1928; withdrawn); Teresa nel bosco (1933; Venice, Sept. 15, 1934); Don Perlimplin (1949; Urbana, Ill., March 30, 1952); Viaggio d’Europa, radio opera (1954); The Pet Shop (1957; N.Y., April 14, 1958); The Clock (1959–60); Maryam the Harlot (1966). Ballet : L’Arca di Noe (1923; only orch. suite extant); Robinson et Vendredi (1924); Barabau (London, Dec. 11, 1925); Le Bal (Monte Carlo, May 1929); David triomphant (Paris, May 1937); Hippolyte (1937); The Night Shadow (1941; N.Y., Feb. 1946); Waltz Academy (Boston, Oct. 1944); The Mute Wife (N.Y., Nov. 1944); Trionfo di Bacco e Arianna, ballet-cantata (1946–47; N.Y., Feb. 1948); Native Dancer (1959; based on the Sym. No. 5); Conundrum (1961); A Sylvan Dream (1965; Indianapolis, Oct. 1, 1982); Scenes Seen (1975; Indianapolis, March 25, 1976); Verdiana (1983; Indianapolis, Feb. 16, 1984); Indiana (1984; Indianapolis, Sept. 14, 1985); Kaleidoscope (1987; Indianapolis, April 30, 1988). ORCH. : Woodwind Concerto (1923; Prague, May 31, 1924); Noah’s Ark, symphonic suite (1925); 2 Pastorali for Chamber Orch. (1925); 3 piano concertos (1926; 1930–37; 1955); Madrigale for Chamber Orch. (1927); 2 violin concertos: No. 1, Concerto napoletano (1928; Paris, May 1930) and No. 2 (1969); 8 syms.: No. 1 (1929; Paris, Jan. 1930), No. 2 (1930; Brussels, April 1931), No. 3, Sinfonietta (Paris, May 1932), No 4, Sinfonia tripartita (1942; St. Louis, Dec. 16, 1944), No. 5 (1945; Venice, Sept. 1947), No. 6 (1973; N.Y., Dec. 11, 1974), No. 7 (1977), and No. 8, Sinfonia breve (Lafayette, Ind., May 2, 1987); Serenata for Violin and Chamber Orch. (1931); 2 cello concertos: No. 1 for Cello and Chamber Orch. (1934) and No. 2 (1953); Concerto du Loup (1938); Partita for Harpsichord and Chamber Orch. (1946); Concerto for 2 Pianos and Orch. (1951); Harpsichord Concerto (1952–55; rev. 1972); Introduction e gioco delle ore (1953); Dance Variations for Strings (1956); La fontaine, suite (1968; N.Y., Nov. 1, 1969); Concerto Triplo for Violin, Viola, Piano, and Orch. (1971; N.Y., Jan. 27, 1973); Concerto for String Quartet and Orch. (1976; N.Y., Feb. 1, 1978); Concertino pro San Luca for 10 Instruments (1984); Concertino Novello for 10 Instruments (1986); Congedo for 12 Instruments (1987); Enharmonic Variations for Piano and Chamber Orch. (N.Y., Feb. 4, 1988). CHAMBER : Sonata for Flute, Oboe, Bassoon, and Piano (1924); 5 string quartets (1926, 1941, 1951, 1960, 1988); Woodwind Quintet (1957); Octet for Piano and 7 Instruments (1971); Piano Trio (1972); Piano Quartet (1973); Allegretto alla croma for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Strings, and Piano (1981); Romanza lidica for Clarinet and Piano (1984); Piano Quintet (1989); numerous works for solo piano; pieces for 2 Piano.

Bibliography

F. Ricci, V. R. (Naples, 1987).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire