Role

:

Composer Conductor

Country

:

Italy

Birth

:

July 16, 1904 in Zagarolo, Italy

Death

:

March 3, 2003 in Rome, Italy

Genre

:

Chamber

 

 

Concerto

 

Goffredo Petrassi was an Italian composer who was born on July 16, 1904, in Zagarolo, Italy. He was the son of a blacksmith and grew up in a working-class family. Despite his humble beginnings, Petrassi showed an early interest in music and began studying the violin at the age of six. He later switched to the piano and began composing his own music. Petrassi's musical education began at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome, where he studied composition with Ildebrando Pizzetti and violin with Remy Principe. He graduated in 1928 and began working as a freelance composer and conductor. In 1931, he won the prestigious Prix de Rome, which allowed him to study in Paris for three years. During his time in Paris, Petrassi was exposed to the works of Stravinsky, Bartok, and other modernist composers. He was particularly influenced by the neoclassical style of Stravinsky and began incorporating elements of it into his own compositions. He also became interested in the music of non-Western cultures, which he studied during his travels to North Africa and the Middle East. Petrassi's early works were heavily influenced by Italian folk music and the neoclassical style of Stravinsky. His first major composition, the Partita for Orchestra, was premiered in 1933 and was well-received by critics. He continued to compose works for orchestra, including the Concerto for Orchestra and the Divertimento for Orchestra. In the 1940s, Petrassi's music became more experimental and avant-garde. He began incorporating elements of serialism and atonality into his compositions, which caused some controversy among traditionalists. His most famous work from this period is the Nonsense for Voice and Chamber Ensemble, which features nonsensical lyrics and unconventional vocal techniques. Petrassi's music also became more politically engaged during this time. He was a member of the Italian Communist Party and composed several works with political themes, including the cantata Coro di morti (Chorus of the Dead), which was dedicated to the victims of the Nazi concentration camps. In the 1950s, Petrassi's music became more introspective and personal. He began incorporating elements of jazz and popular music into his compositions, as well as experimenting with electronic music. His most famous work from this period is the Missa brevis, a setting of the Catholic Mass that features unconventional harmonies and rhythms. Petrassi continued to compose prolifically throughout the rest of his life. He wrote music for film and television, as well as several operas and ballets. He also taught composition at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory and mentored several younger composers, including Luciano Berio and Franco Donatoni. Petrassi's music has been praised for its originality, complexity, and emotional depth. He was a master of orchestration and was able to create a wide range of textures and colors with his music. His compositions are often characterized by their rhythmic vitality, harmonic richness, and use of unconventional instrumental techniques. Some of Petrassi's most famous works include the Partita for Orchestra, the Concerto for Orchestra, the Nonsense for Voice and Chamber Ensemble, the Coro di morti, the Missa brevis, and the opera Il cordovano. His music has been performed by some of the world's leading orchestras and conductors, including Leonard Bernstein, Pierre Boulez, and Claudio Abbado. Petrassi died on March 3, 2003, in Rome, Italy, at the age of 98.

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