In California, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco trained an entire generation of motion picture composers, including notable figures like John Williams, Henry Mancini, and Nelson Riddle.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Castelnuovo-Tedesco considered song composition 'the form of expression most suited' to his temperament, believing his songs to be his highest accomplishment.
Composer Biography
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, born in Italy, became a U.S. citizen in 1946, but throughout his life, he self-identified as Florentine.
Recording & Production
The pieces featured on this album, including the Leaves of Grass cycle and Shakespeare Sonnets, were unpublished at the time of this 2014 recording and have rarely been performed publicly.
Composer Biography
Jascha Heifetz, a renowned violinist, and Albert Spalding, an American violinist, were among Castelnuovo-Tedesco's American sponsors who helped him immigrate to the United States.
Composition History
While orchestrating his exodus from Italy, Castelnuovo-Tedesco composed his popular Guitar Concerto, Op. 99, describing its second movement as his 'tender farewell to the hills of Tuscany.'
Historical Context
Castelnuovo-Tedesco's exile from Italy was triggered by Mussolini's 1938 Manifesto of Race, which made it clear that Florence was no longer a safe place to raise his children.
