Giovanni Sgambati

Giovanni Sgambati ( born May 28, 1841 in Rome, † December 14, 1914 ) was an Italian pianist, conductor and composer.

Life

Sgambati came from middle-class family, his father was a lawyer in Rome, his mother the daughter of the English sculptor Joseph God ( 1786-1860 ). He has already received early piano lessons and appeared in public at the age of six years. After the death of his father in 1849, he continued his education in Trevi. In 1860 he returned to his birthplace and appeared in public as a pianist. Shortly afterwards, Liszt came to Rome, Sgambati came under his influence and became his disciple. He now began, the symphonic music, especially the works of Beethoven, but also the Liszt in Rome to make known. In 1869 he followed his teacher to Germany. Here he met Anton Rubinstein and also learned the music of Wagner know and appreciate. Also, whose works he led shortly thereafter - but only partially - in his homeland on. About Wagner Sgambati also came to the Mainzer publishing house Schott. The composer himself he met in 1876 in Rome and was encouraged by him to try on larger symphonic works. The Council is to write operas, he did not follow.

In the 1880s he became very busy traveling, the concertante took him to England, France and Germany. At the same time, he remained true to his principle, again and again in his native town where little-known instrumental works, such as Bach, Mozart and Haydn to bring to the performance.

In 1891 he refused the call Rubinstein's successor from the St. Petersburg Conservatory to be, as he his hometown felt too attached. In 1893 he was appointed artistic director of the Società Filarmonica Romana, which named the concert hall of their new headquarters after him after his death. In 1903 he resigned from all public offices and served only as a teacher.

Work

Sgambati was a consistent advocate of Italian instrumental music and has all his life refused to write an opera. This also explains his efforts, the development of non - Italian music, especially to make symphonic, known in his homeland. He stood in his work completely under the influence of the music of Beethoven, Wagner and Liszt, the further development around the turn of the century and then did not touch him.

He created two symphonies, numerous chamber music and piano works, songs, and some church music compositions, including a Requiem.

Discography

Messa da Requiem: J. Wilsing (baritone ); Philharmonic Choir of Heilbronn, members of the Stuttgart State Orchestra; U. forest villages (Carus 83 121 )

Swell

• Alfredo Casella: Giovanni Sgambati. In: Music and letters, Oct. 1925, pp. 304-312, Oxford University Press, 1925
• Sergio Martinotti, The music in past and present, vol 12 p 612, Barenreiter 1986

Papers

Letters from Giovanni Sgambati are in the inventory of the Leipzig music publisher CF Peters in Leipzig State Archives.