Role

:

Composer  

Country

:

Italy

Birth

:

January 8, 1905 in La Spezia, Italy

Death

:

August 9, 1988 in Rome, Italy

Period

:

Contemporary

 

 

Modern

Genre

:

Avant-Garde

 

 

Chamber

 

 

Keyboard

 

Giacinto Scelsi was an Italian composer who is known for his unique and innovative approach to music. He was born on January 8, 1905, in La Spezia, Italy, to a wealthy family. Scelsi showed an early interest in music and began studying the piano at a young age. He later studied composition with Walter Courvoisier in Geneva and with Giacomo Manzoni in Milan. Scelsi's early works were influenced by the music of Debussy and Ravel, but he soon began to develop his own style. In the 1930s, he became interested in Eastern music and philosophy, and this had a profound impact on his music. He began to explore the use of microtonality and developed a technique of playing one note for an extended period of time, which he called "sound-mass." Scelsi's music was largely ignored during his lifetime, but he continued to compose and experiment with new techniques. In the 1950s, he began to gain recognition for his work, and his music was performed by some of the leading musicians of the day, including Pierre Boulez and Karlheinz Stockhausen. One of Scelsi's most famous works is his Quattro Pezzi su una nota sola (Four Pieces on a Single Note), which he composed in 1959. The piece consists of four movements, each of which is based on a single note. The music is characterized by its use of microtonality and its slow, meditative quality. Another notable work by Scelsi is his Anahit, which he composed in 1965. The piece is scored for solo violin and string orchestra and is based on an Armenian legend about the goddess Anahit. The music is characterized by its use of glissandi and its haunting, otherworldly quality. Scelsi continued to compose until his death in 1988. His music has since gained a wider audience and is now recognized as an important contribution to the development of contemporary music.

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