Piano music in Italy at the turn of the twentieth century: Alfredo Casella and Gian Francesco Malipiero

Abstract

Alfredo Casella and Gian Francesco Malipiero were significant voices among several Italian composers at the beginning of the twentieth century that promoted the revival of instrumental music. They hoped to create a national style beyond opera by expanding the instrumental repertory of their country. This document includes analyses and discussion of solo keyboard works by these composers created between 1914--1918, including Malipiero's Preludi autunnali and Risonanze, and Casella's Nove Pezzi and Sonatina. The author identifies important sources of style relevant to the musical language of Malipiero and Casella and assesses the quality and context of their contributions to the history of solo keyboard music in twentieth century Italy. These composers successfully revitalized a dwindling solo keyboard tradition through their own compositions, their work as pedagogues, and their leadership positions in the international musical community.