Cilea considered the human voice the 'true instrument of expression of the passions,' believing no other instrument could rival it.
Composer Biography
Cilea's early compositions for piano, from 1883-1888, show influences from European Romanticism, including Schumann and Chopin, while also incorporating aspects of his homeland's musical traditions.
Critical Reception
Cilea's piano works are largely unknown to the public and rarely feature in concert programs or music publisher catalogues, with many pieces of value having been neglected despite their innovative features.
Composer Biography
Francesco Cilea, born in Palmi in 1866, initially went to Naples to study law but pursued music against his parents' wishes, enrolling at the Conservatorio 'S. Pietro a Majella'.
Composition History
Cilea arranged and revised Leonardo Leo's Concerto in D for cello, originally from 1737, for orchestra in 1934, having previously made a piano arrangement in 1922.
Compositional Technique
Cilea's 'Piccola Suite for orchestra' uses 'advanced' compositional forms, including modalities, whole-tone scales, and long sequences of seventh and ninth chords, influenced by French music of the period.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Cilea believed that 'Italianism' was the constant norm for his art, modernized in form and technique, as evidenced by his operas like 'L'Arlesiana', 'Adriana Lecouvreur', and 'Gloria'.
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