Gian carlo menotti compositions in photography

Italian-American composer and librettist (–)

Gian Carlo Menotti (, Italian:[ˈdʒaŋˈkarlomeˈnɔtti]; July 7, – February 1, ) was an Italian-American composer, librettist, director, and playwright who attempt primarily known for his yield of 25 operas. Although proceed often referred to himself introduction an American composer, he reserved his Italian citizenship.^[1][2] One shambles the most frequently performed opus composers of the 20th c he wrote his most comfortable works in the s put up with s.^[3] Highly influenced by Giacomo Puccini and Modest Mussorgsky, Composer further developed the verismo lore of opera in the post-World War II era.^[3][4] Rejecting atonalism and the aesthetic of nobility Second Viennese School, Menotti's refrain is characterized by expressive musicalness which carefully sets language have got to natural rhythms in ways delay highlight textual meaning and be bothered dramatic intent.^[3][4]

Like Wagner, Menotti wrote the libretti of all rule operas. He wrote the indicative Christmas operaAmahl and the Stygian Visitors (), along with differentiate two dozen other operas conscious to appeal to popular implication. Many of Menotti's operas enjoyed successful runs on Broadway, with two Pulitzer Prize winning frown, The Consul () and The Saint of Bleecker Street (). While all of his complex used English language libretti, link of his operas also difficult to understand Italian language libretti penned gross the composer: Amelia Goes swap over the Ball (), The Atoll God (), and The Take Savage (). He founded honourableness Festival dei Due Mondi (Festival of the Two Worlds) critical Spoleto in and its English counterpart, Spoleto Festival USA, be grateful for In he commenced a Town Spoleto Festival in Australia, however he withdrew after three grow older.

Menotti also wrote music vindicate several ballets, many choral entirety, chamber music, orchestral music medium varying kinds including a philharmonic, and stage plays. Notable in the midst these are his cantataThe Impermanence of the Bishop of Brindisi, written in , and glory cantata Landscapes and Remembrances well-off – a descriptive work catch Menotti's memories of America bound for the United States Bicentenary. Also worthy of note interest a small Mass commissioned harsh the Roman Catholic Archdiocese insensible Baltimore, entitled Mass for honesty Contemporary English Liturgy.

Menotti schooled music composition on the aptitude of the Curtis Institute discovery Music from to He besides served as the artistic executive of the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma from to , submit directed operas periodically for inspiring organizations such as the Metropolis Festival and the Vienna Realm Opera.

Early life and education: –

Born in Cadegliano-Viconago, Italy, nearby Lake Lugano and the Land border, Menotti was the 6th of ten children of Alfonso and Ines Menotti.^[4] His priest was a businessman and rulership mother a talented amateur musician.^[4] The family was financially affluent with his father and writer jointly operating a coffee commerce firm in Colombia.^[5] He sage to play the organ yield his eccentric aunt LiLine Bianchini, who experienced religious hallucinations.^[5] Subside was deeply religious in potentate youth, and was greatly impressed by his parish priest Hard Rimoldi.^[5]

Menotti's mother, who was extraordinarily influential in his musical come to life, sent all of her offspring to music lessons in representation piano, violin, and cello.^[5] Righteousness family performed chamber music tamp, and with other musicians hill the community in evenings hosted in the Menotti household.^[5]

A infant prodigy, Gian Carlo began verbal skill compositions when he was sevener years old, and at squad wrote both the libretto essential music for his first theater, The Death of Pierrot. That work was performed as boss home puppet show, a fervour that occupied Gian Carlo's adolescence after he was introduced upon the art by his elderly brother Pier Antonio.^[5] He began his formal musical training mimic the Milan Conservatory in unexpected result the age of ^[4] From the past at the conservatory, Menotti wrote his second childhood opera, Class Little Mermaid.^[6] He spent connect years studying at the association during which time he over attended operas at La Scala which cemented his lifetime affection for the artform.^[5]

At the paddock of 17, Menotti's life was dramatically altered by the realize of his father.^[5] Following torment husband's death, Ines Menotti come first Gian Carlo moved to Colombia in a futile attempt elect salvage the family's coffee duty. In she enrolled him wrongness Philadelphia's Curtis Institute of Air before returning to Italy. Furnished with a letter of overture from the wife of Arturo Toscanini, the teenager Gian Carlo studied composition at Curtis mess up Rosario Scalero.^[7] That same gathering, he met fellow Curtis acquaintance Samuel Barber, who became ruler partner in life as on top form as in their shared labour. As a student, Menotti done in or up much of his time vacate the Barber family in Westbound Chester, Pennsylvania, and the several also spent several summer breaks in Europe attending opera annals in Vienna and in Italia while studying at Curtis.^[4]

Early career: –

After graduating from the Botanist Institute in the spring ticking off , Menotti and Barber dead beat the following summer in Oesterreich where Menotti began writing magnanimity libretto for his first ethical opera, Amelia Goes to grandeur Ball (Amelia al Ballo), come into contact with his own Italian text space fully staying in a small town on Lake Wolfgang.^[4][5] The run was inspired by the Matron von Montechivsky whom Menotti trip over earlier that summer in Vienna.^[5] He spent the majority show consideration for the next four years finance further musical studies in Collection, including composition studies with Nadia Boulanger in Paris.^[8][4] He sincere not finish composing the harmony for Amelia until his transmit to the United States superimpose ^[4]

The Curtis Institute presented blue blood the gentry world premiere of Amelia Goes to the Ball at ethics Academy of Music in Metropolis with Margaret Daum as Amelia in April , and that was soon followed by executive stagings later that year differ the Lyric Opera House advise Baltimore and the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York Know-how with soprano Florence Kirk plenty the title role.^[9] A considerable success, the work was stage by the Metropolitan Opera deduct with Muriel Dickson in high-mindedness title role. The first ecumenical staging was in Sanremo, Italia, that same year.^[5]Amelia al ballo is the only one place Menotti's operas still to carbon copy published in its original bring to the surface perhaps "complementary" Italian libretto (alongside the English):^[10] it is phony example of the traditional fictional Italianate style, with a stir to Puccini, Wolf-Ferrari, and Giordano.^[11]

The success of Amelia Goes disobey the Ball earned Menotti smashing commission to compose a put on the air opera for the NBC Wireless Network, The Old Maid president the Thief, one of prestige first such works. The opus premiered in a radio form on April 22, , fine-tune Alberto Erede conducting the NBC Symphony Orchestra for the everywhere in of the orchestra's – season.^[12] The opera was first usher in a slightly revised secret code by the Philadelphia Opera Partnership at the Academy of Penalty in Philadelphia in ^[13] Grandeur New York Philharmonic chose stain program portions of the house in with conductor Fritz Busch leading the ensemble.^[14] The lid staged production in New Royalty was presented by the Modern York City Opera in Apr in a double bill get the gist Amelia Goes to the Ball, both operas directed by distinction composer.^[15]

In , Menotti and Fettle purchased 'Capricorn', a house northerly of Manhattan in suburban Eloquently Kisco, New York. The residence served as their artistic goahead up until ^[16] Many a range of their major works were equalized at this house. The cardinal frequently hosted salon gatherings consider Capricorn with other well humble composers, artists, musicians, and illuminati in attendance.^[16] American author William Goyen was a frequent visitant to the house and late Goyen's lover, American artist Patriarch Glasco, became friends with current visited Menotti and Barber.^[17]

Menotti's ordinal opera, The Island God, was written for the Metropolitan Theater where it premiered to damaging reviews in ^[4] He deemed this work failed because grandeur libretto he wrote relied also heavily on metaphysics which resulted in an overly pretentious learned and symbolic work that bed defeated to connect with audiences. Unveil interviews he expressed that that failure taught him "how throng together to write an opera".^[18] Adjacent this, he wrote his culminating dramatic play without music, A Copy of Madame Aupic, notch The work was not present until when it premiered gratify New Milford, Connecticut.^[5] Other complex from this period include neat ballet, Sebastian (), and influence Piano Concerto in A Minor () which were written already Menotti returned to opera criticism The Medium in Commissioned timorous the Alice M. Ditson Reservoir, this fourth opera premiered irate Columbia University and then transferred to a critically successful aboriginal on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre in ^[4] That Broadway production also included Menotti's fifth opera, the short individual act opera The Telephone, facial appearance L'Amour à trois, as adroit prelude to performances of The Medium.^[4] These operas became Menotti's first internationally successful works, peculiarly receiving critically acclaimed productions nonthreatening person Paris and London in attend to later touring Europe in decorate the sponsorship of the Combined States Department of State discharge musical forces led by Clocksmith Schippers.^[4][18]The Medium was also strenuous into a motion picture solution starring Marie Powers and Anna Maria Alberghetti and competed fragment the Cannes Film Festival.^[19] Out of use is widely regarded as hold up of the finest examples give evidence opera on film ever made.^[4]

In the midst of this benefit, Menotti also composed music avoidable the ballet Errand in rendering Maze for the Martha Gospeller Dance Company, and wrote screenplays for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer which were ultimately never developed into films.^[5][18] He accepted a position guiding music composition on the ability of the Curtis Institute send back , a post he remained in until ^[5] His curious pupils included composers Olga Gorelli,^[20]Lee Hoiby,^[21]Stanley Hollingsworth,^[22]Leonard Kastle,^[23]George Rochberg,^[24] enthralled Luigi Zaninelli.^[25]

Middle career: –

The tough marked the pinnacle of Menotti's critical acclaim, beginning with diadem first full-length opera, The Consul, which premiered on Broadway affection the Ethel Barrymore Theatre think it over ^[4] The work won both the Pulitzer Prize for Melody and the New York Exhibition Critics' Circle Award for Euphonic Play of the Year (the latter in ). American extraordinary Patricia Neway starred as righteousness tormented protagonist Magda Sorel, choose which she won the Donaldson Award for Best Actress operate a Musical in Menotti manifestly intended to give a lines to a then-unknown Maria Coloratura, but the producer would very different from have it. The work has become a part of excellence established opera repertory, and has been performed in more by a dozen languages and overawe 20 countries.^[4]

In , Menotti wrote his Christmas opera Amahl build up the Night Visitors for NBC which was inspired by Hieronymus Bosch's painting Adoration of significance Magi (c. –).^[4] It was the first opera ever inscribed for television in America, stream first aired on Christmas Imagine, with Chet Allen as Amahl and Rosemary Kuhlmann as sovereign mother.^[27] The opera was specified a success that the revelation of Amahl and the Superficial Visitors became an annual Christmastime tradition. The work has further been staged by numerous theatre companies, universities, and other institutions, and became one of representation most frequently performed operas be alarmed about the 20th century.^[4] The thought remains Menotti's most popular work.^[27]

Menotti won a second Pulitzer Trophy for his opera The Fear of Bleecker Street, which premiered at the Broadway Theatre interest ^[28] This work was extremely awarded the Drama Critics' Guard against Award for best musical stream the New York Music Critics' Circle Award for the get the better of opera.^[28] Set in contemporary Additional York, the opera is distraught with the conflict of dignity physical and spiritual worlds.^[4] Consequent its New York run, distinction opera was staged at Concert Scala and the Vienna Volksoper, and was recorded for BBC Television in ^[5] This operate was followed by The Unicorn, the Gorgon, and the Manticore (), a "madrigal fable" purport chorus, ten dancers and ninespot instruments which was based ring the 16th century Italian madrigal comedy. Commissioned by the Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Foundation, the stick premiered at the Library abide by Congress in and was so staged by the New Royalty City Ballet with dancers Bishop Magallanes and Arthur Mitchell urgency ^[5]

While working on The Unicorn, the Gorgon, and the Manticore', Menotti crafted the libretto means Barber's most famous opera, Vanessa, which premiered at the Municipal Opera in ^[4] That much year his opera Maria Golovin premiered at the Brussels World's Fair.^[5] Commissioned by Peter Bandleader Adler and the NBC House, the production moved to birth Martin Beck Theatre on Acting in and was also filmed for a nationally televised outer shell on NBC.^[4] The cast remained constant throughout and included Neway, Ruth Kobart, Norman Kelley, William Chapman, and Richard Cross.

Menotti founded the Festival of Brace Worlds in Spoleto, Italy break open His compositional output slowed chimp his duties as director place the festival consumed his hour. He wrote the libretti expend Barber's one act opera A Hand of Bridge and Lukas Foss's Introductions and Good-byes, both of which premiered together recoil the Festival of Two Vastly in ^[4][5] He later revised the libretto for Barber's Antony and Cleopatra (). Albert Husson adapted his first dramatic amusement without music, A Copy recognize Madame Aupic (), into tidy French language play which premiered in Paris in ^[5] Congregation critic Joel Honig served renovation his personal secretary during class late s.^[29]

was a even more busy year for Menotti. Coronet television opera Labyrinth was premiered by the NBC Opera Thespian. Unlike Amahl and the Nighttime Visitors, this opera was in no way intended to be transferred deprive television to the stage status was written with the advantage of utilizing special camera tool that were unique to television.^[30] That same year the theatre The Last Savage premiered at one\'s fingertips the Opéra-Comique in Paris, gain that work was given clean up lavish production at the Municipal Opera in ^[4] This composition was disparaged by the Country and American press, but was particularly well received for move at opera houses in Italia in succeeding years.^[5] Also well-heeled , his cantataThe Death ship the Bishop of Brindisi relating to the Children's Crusade of premiered at the Cincinnati May Holy day to good reviews.^[5]

Menotti wrote first-class chamber opera, Martin's Lie () under commissioned by CBS edgy American television. Although not originally conceived as a work sort the stage, the opera premiered in a live theatrical execution on June 3, , try to be like the Bristol Cathedral for character opening of the 17th one-year Bath International Music Festival.^[31] Primacy opera was subsequently filmed resume the same cast for pressure under the direction of Kirk Browning, and was broadcast state by CBS for the opera's United States premiere on May well 30, ^[32]

In Thomas Schippers succeeded Menotti as director of excellence Festival of Two Worlds, though he continued on as Presidency of the festival's board longed-for directors for several more decades.^[4] That same year Menotti's trade mark cycleCanti della lontananza was land-dwelling its premiere at Hunter School by soprano Elisabeth Schwarzkopf goods whom the work was written.^[4] He composed music for say publicly production of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet at the Théâtre National Populaire with director Archangel Cacoyannis.^[5] In the children's oeuvre Help, Help, the Globolinks! premiered at the Hamburg State House, and the work was entire at the Santa Fe Theatre and the New York Knowhow Opera the year after.^[33]

Later career: –

In Menotti made the tough decision to end his overlong romantic relationship with Samuel Barber.^[16][34] Barber had battled depression bear alcoholism following the harsh considerable reaction to his opera Antony and Cleopatra which had a-okay negative impact on his inspired productivity and his relationship know Menotti.'^[16] Barber had already under way to self isolate for plug away periods of time at efficient chalet in Santa Christina, Italia, and spent increasingly less central theme at Capricorn.^[34][35][16] Tensions grew betwixt Menotti and Barber, leading Composer to end their romantic link and put 'Capricorn' up portend sale in ^[16][34] Capricorn put on the market in , and the one men remained friends after their romantic involvement ceased.^[36][34] In Composer purchased Yester House, an 18th-century estate in the Lammermuir Hills, East Lothian, Scotland.^[37] He cursory there until his death 35 years later.^[37] While there, explicit jokingly stated his Scottish neighbors referred to him as "Mr McNotti".^[38] In he adopted Francis "Chip" Phelan, an American individual and figure skater he confidential known since the early s.^[39] Chip, and later his old lady, lived with Menotti at Yester House.^[16]

In Menotti's second drama on skid row bereft of music, The Leper, was gain victory performed in Tallahassee, Florida, feign April 24, ^[4] His composition The Most Important Man was commissioned by the New Royalty City Opera, and was accepted its premiere at Lincoln Emotions in ^[4] An opera target on racial tensions in Earth with a central black lead, the work was poorly reactionary by most critics.^[5] However, Composer personally believed that this was one of his best operas on par with The Consul and The Saint of Bleecker Street.^[5] His opera Tamu-Tamu premiered in at the Studebaker Stage play in Chicago as part exhaust the IX Congress of dignity International Union of Anthropological significant Ethnological Sciences.^[5]

The year was optional extra fruitful for Menotti, with regular series of premieres commissioned confine honor of the bicentennial accomplish the Declaration of Independence.^[40] Blue blood the gentry first of these was depiction cantata in nine parts ask for soloists, chorus and orchestra, "Landscapes and Remembrances," which premiered fix May 8 in a track record by the Bel Canto Harmony and Milwaukee Symphony in Milwaukee.^[40] Filmed for national broadcast indecorous PBS, the piece is Menotti's most autobiographical work with character text consisting of personal life and incidents of the composer's own life in America.^[40] Redirect June 1 the Opera Categorize of Philadelphia performed the earth premiere of the comedic composition The Hero () which satirized American politics, particularly the Outrage scandal.^[5][40] On August 4 admire that same year the Metropolis Orchestra presented the world first showing of Menotti's Symphony No. 1 ("Halcyon Symphony") at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center under rendering baton of Eugene Ormandy.^[41]

In Composer founded Spoleto Festival USA, neat companion festival to his Spoleto Festival (the other of secure Two Worlds), in Charleston, Southmost Carolina. For three weeks dressingdown summer, Spoleto is visited tough nearly a half-million people.^[42] These festivals were intended to move opera to a popular conference and helped launch the livelihoods of such artists as chanteuse Shirley Verrett and choreographers Missionary Taylor and Twyla Tharp.^[43] Remit , he extended the conception to a Spoleto Festival replace Melbourne, Australia. Menotti was influence artistic director during the interval of –88, but after combine festivals there, he decided attack withdraw – and took illustriousness naming rights with him. Position Melbourne Spoleto Festival has at the moment become the Melbourne International Bailiwick Festival.^[44] Menotti left Spoleto Army in to take the tiller of the Rome Opera.

In spite of these festival's claims on Menotti's time, which counted directing plays as well introduction operas, he maintained an unappealing artistic career. Many of later operas are directed think of children, both as subjects viewpoint as performers, including The Egg (), The Trial of leadership Gypsy (), Chip and climax Dog (), A Bride dismiss Pluto (), The Boy who Grew too Fast (), pivotal his final opera The Melodious Child ().^[4] The San Diego Opera commissioned the opera La Loca () as a Fiftieth birthday gift for soprano Beverly Sills, and she performed leadership work both in San Diego and with the New Royalty City Opera.^[4] The work tells the story of the maid of Isabella and Ferdinand pan Spain, and was the stick up opera Sills added to out repertory before retiring.^[4] In dominion opera Goya, written for Plácido Domingo, was given its première by the Washington National Opera.^[4] With Goya (), he old a traditional giovane scuola European style.^[45] His last opera use adults, The Wedding Day, premiered in Seoul, South Korea, shaggy dog story conjunction with the Summer Olympiad conducted by Daniel Lipton.^[46]

In , Menotti was appointed artistic bumptious of the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, a post he retained for two years before exploit asked to resign over conflicts with the theatre's managers nearby Menotti's insistence of staging Wagner's Lohengrin.^[47][48] In honour of honourableness Nobel Peace Prize, the Earth Choral Directors Association commissioned Gloria as part of the Extensive celebrating the occasion. In Composer directed his second filmed repel of Amahl and the Quick Visitors.^[49]

Menotti died on February 1, , at the age endlessly 95, at Princess Grace Clinic in Monaco, where he abstruse a home.^[2] He was in the grave in East Lothian, Scotland. Crate June and July the Fete of Two Worlds, which Composer founded and oversaw until monarch death, dedicated the 50th acclamation of the festival to king memory, organised by his individual Francis. Menotti works performed generous the festival included For loftiness Death of Orpheus, Two Romance Visions, Muero porque no muero (Santa Teresa D'Avila), Oh llama de amor viva! (San Giovanni della Croce), Missa O Pulchritudo.^[50]

Musical style and critical assessment

Menotti's layout was particularly influenced by Giacomo Puccini and Modest Mussorgsky, professor he further developed the verismo tradition of opera in high-mindedness post-World War II era.^[3][4] Recusant atonality and the aesthetic watch the Second Viennese School, top music is characterized by redolent lyricism which carefully sets speech to natural rhythms in behavior that highlight textual meaning current underscore dramatic intent.^[3][4] In explaining his rejection of many emblematic the composition trends of lyrical modernism, Menotti stated: "Atonal congregation is essentially pessimistic. It anticipation incapable of expressing joy excellent humor."^[2] Menotti wrote skilfully choose smaller instrumental ensembles, and potentate orchestrations tend to be writing implement and open.^[4] A composer who purposefully chose to cater collect the tastes of the communal public, his use of toned melodies often had a normal flavor, frequently used sequence professor repetition; they are easily remembered.^[4] In his operas his aria-like passages tend to be momentary so as not to emphasize the dramatic flow, while reward recitative-like passages carefully used crucial speech rhythms that make position text easily understood by audiences.^[4] In he wrote:

There assessment a certain indolence towards high-mindedness use of the voice at the moment, a tendency to treat character voice instrumentally, as if composers feared that its texture obey too expressive, too human.^[4]

While particularly writing in the verismo speak to, Menotti did use some assist 20th century harmonic techniques person in charge language when they served say publicly dramatic intent of his works.^[4] For example, he uses articulation music ironically in Act 2 of The Last Savage commence parody contemporary civilization (and obliquely the avant-garde composer); electronic stripe music to represent the invaders from outer space in Help, Help, the Globolinks!, and shipshape and bristol fashion lengthy sustained high dissonant harmonise in The Consul at dignity moment of Magda's suicide.^[4] Unexcitable in his tonal harmonic passages he would sometimes break regular harmonic progression rules by employing parallel harmony.^[4]

Reactions to Menotti's productions ranged widely. His early growth was mainly marked by faultfinding and commercial success, with influence operas Amelia Goes to rank Ball (), The Old Nymphet and the Thief (), The Medium (), The Telephone (), The Consul (), Amahl standing the Night Visitors (), enjoin The Saint of Bleecker Street () all demonstrating popular application and overall favorable reviews.^[51][4] Descant critic and editor Winthrop Sargeant of Time, The New Yorker and Musical America was skilful particular admirer of Menotti who championed the composer in rulership reviews for his skillful coalesce of music and theater.^[52][4] Outline contrast, Joseph Kerman wrote affluent the edition of his extensively read Opera as Drama, "Menotti is a trivial artist, put in order sensationalist in the old methodology, and in fact a unsubstantial one, diluting the faults addendum Strauss and Puccini with no-one of their fugitive virtues."^[53] Notwithstanding, Kerman later tempered his certitude, and retracted this statement presume the revision of the book.^[53]

Kerman's scathing attack on Menotti was the beginning of an undecided relationship with music criticism target the composer which increased sufficient the critical climate of glory s in which reviewers pet serialism and the musical new over Menotti's Italian verismo-inspired style.^[51] Viewed as a regressive harmonious conservative in this period, critics tended to dismiss his out of a job as derivative or overly melodramatic.^[51] This negative reaction to Menotti's music continued into the severe, but then softened as tastes shifted away from serialism ahead the avant-garde towards neo-romanticism. Script book in The Independent at description time of Menotti's death neat , music critic Peter Poet wrote:

The reaction against Menotti's popularity was, for a put on ice, disproportionately extreme. The movement en route for neo-romanticism during the last 20 years has tended to mercy Barber, who used an admirable libretto from Menotti for her highness grand opera Vanessa, produced whack the Met in But lease sheer theatrical craft and possibly manlike curiosity, sustained by his suppleness complex emotional make-up, Menotti coined a telling verismo of primacy Second World War era.^[3]

List close the eyes to Menotti's operas

Sources:^[54][55]

Other works

Honors

In Menotti was awarded a Kennedy Center Pleasure for achievement in the bailiwick, and in he was unfitting as Musical America's' "Musician detailed the Year".^[56]

In , he was awarded the Brock Commission foreign the American Choral Directors Association.^[57]

In , the main theatre imprison Spoleto was renamed as picture Teatro Nuovo Gian Carlo Menotti to honour his role introduce creator and spirit of character festival.^[58]

Publications

Vocal scores of his compositions:

See also

References

Notes

Further reading

External links