Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari, the composer, was the son of a German father and an Italian mother, and maintained a musical language rooted in melody and tonality.
Composition History
Wolf-Ferrari's cantata La vita nuova attracted attention in 1903, and the premiere of his opera Le donne curiose a few months later brought him international fame at age 27.
Recording & Production
This album features world premiere recordings of Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari's Talitha Kumi!, La Passione, and Otto cori.
Composition History
Wolf-Ferrari's Talitha Kumi! and Lorenzo Perosi's La risurrezione di Lazzaro, both composed in 1898, share similar biblical subjects and reflect their close friendship.
Composer Biography
During World War I, Wolf-Ferrari, a humanist and citizen of two warring nations, fell into depression and was unable to work, feeling he had lost his identity.
Performer Biography
Friedrich Haider, the conductor, is an ardent champion of Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari's music, having programmed and recorded his works, including the complete orchestral and a cappella choral works.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Wolf-Ferrari developed a musical language that revived and regenerated tradition and historical stylistic features, prioritizing melody and tonality even during the rise of modernism.
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