Francesco Cilea, the composer, stated that "Italianism" was his constant artistic norm, modernized but never stifled, as evidenced by his operas Arlesiana, Adriana, and Gloria.
Composer Biography
Cilea believed the human voice was the supreme instrument for expressing passions, a conviction that guided his career as a conservatory director and teacher of renowned singers like Ebe Stignani and Maria Caniglia.
Performer Biography
David Boldrini, the pianist on this album, is a multi-instrumentalist (pianist, organist, harpsichordist) and composer who has performed at Carnegie Hall and won numerous international awards.
Composer Biography
Cilea's early composition "Romanza" was written when he was seventeen and a student in Naples, showing a classical style inspired by Vincenzo Bellini, whose opera 'Norma' had deeply impressed Cilea as a child.
Compositional Technique
In pieces like 'Nel Ridestarmi', Cilea employed impressionistic harmonic solutions, such as parallel open fifths, as a timbric effect rather than a harmonic one, paying homage to composers like Debussy, Fauré, and Puccini.
Composer Biography
Cilea's personality was described as shy and modest, with a deep empathy for others, as he wrote in his 'Memories': "no sorrow is as alive in me as that of others."
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