Alfredo Piatti (1822-1901), a celebrated cellist and composer on this album, was known as 'the Paganini of the cello' and found fame and fortune in London after training in Milan.
Historical Context
The 19th century in Italy, known as the 'Ottocento', was dominated by opera, which overshadowed achievements by native composers in other musical forms.
Composer Biography
Giuseppe Martucci (1856-1909), a composer featured on this album, bypassed the operatic path due to his piano-oriented training and wrote music that blended Italian lyricism with a German approach to form.
Historical Context
The cello's role as a solo instrument, and the repertoire on this album, emerged from its gradual emancipation from a supportive bass function in the late 17th century, starting in Naples.
Composer Biography
Alfredo Casella (1883-1947), another composer on this album, was urged by Martucci to study abroad and came from a family of cellists, with Alfredo Piatti as his godfather.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Gian Francesco Malipiero (1882-1973), a composer, identified a key Italian musical virtue: music that never grinds to a halt, following natural laws of similarity and contrast, creating an 'airy and robust, asymmetric and shapely' architecture.
Historical Context
Before the 19th century, Luigi Boccherini (1743-1805), an Italian composer who made his name in Spain, was the most influential figure for cellists, though his work still treated the cello as a subsidiary instrument.
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