Role

:

Composer Conductor Performer

Country

:

Italy

Birth

:

April 21, 1920 in Venice, Italy

Death

:

November 13, 1973 in Darmstadt, Germany

Period

:

Contemporary

 

 

Modern

Genre

:

Avant-Garde

 

 

Chamber

 

 

Concerto

 

 

Opera

 

Bruno Maderna was an Italian composer and conductor who was born on April 21, 1920, in Venice, Italy. He was the son of a violinist and a pianist, and his parents encouraged him to pursue a career in music from a young age. Maderna began studying the violin and piano at the age of six, and he showed a natural talent for both instruments. Maderna's musical education continued at the Conservatory of Venice, where he studied composition with Gian Francesco Malipiero. He also studied conducting with Hermann Scherchen and composition with Luigi Dallapiccola. Maderna's early works were heavily influenced by the music of the Second Viennese School, particularly the works of Arnold Schoenberg and Anton Webern. In 1941, Maderna joined the Italian Resistance during World War II. He was captured by the Germans in 1944 and sent to a concentration camp, where he was held until the end of the war. After the war, Maderna resumed his musical studies and began to establish himself as a composer and conductor. Maderna's early works were characterized by their use of serialism and atonality. His first major work, the Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra, was premiered in 1950 and received critical acclaim. Maderna's music continued to evolve throughout the 1950s, and he began to incorporate elements of jazz and popular music into his compositions. In 1954, Maderna founded the Studio di Fonologia Musicale in Milan, which was one of the first electronic music studios in Europe. Maderna was fascinated by the possibilities of electronic music, and he used the studio to create a number of groundbreaking works, including Musica su due dimensioni and Hyperion. Maderna's most famous work is probably his opera, Satyricon, which was premiered in 1973. The opera is based on the ancient Roman novel by Petronius, and it is characterized by its use of electronic music and unconventional vocal techniques. Satyricon was a critical and commercial success, and it cemented Maderna's reputation as one of the most innovative composers of his time. Maderna was also a highly respected conductor, and he worked with many of the world's leading orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic and the New York Philharmonic. He was particularly known for his interpretations of contemporary music, and he conducted the premieres of many important works by composers such as Luciano Berio and Karlheinz Stockhausen. Maderna's life was tragically cut short when he died of cancer on November 13, 1973, at the age of 53. Despite his relatively short career, Maderna left behind a rich legacy of innovative and influential music. His works continue to be performed and studied by musicians and scholars around the world, and he remains one of the most important figures in the history of 20th-century music.

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