Camillo Togni
Encyclopedia
Camillo Togni was an Italian composer, teacher, and pianist. Coming from a family of independent means, he was able to pursue his art as he saw fit, regardless of changing fashions or economic pressure.
Togni was born in Gussago
, near Brescia
. He began studying piano at the age of 7, with Franco Margola in Brescia, then from 1939 to 1943 with Alfredo Casella
in Rome
and Siena
, and Giovanni Anfossi in Milan
. Later he studied with Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli
, receiving his diploma from the Conservatory of Parma
in 1946.
He studied Classics in Brescia, musical aesthetics at the University of Milan
, and in 1948 graduated in philosophy from the University of Pavia
with a dissertation titled “The Aesthetics of B. Croce
and the Problem of Musical Interpretation”. Contemporaneously, he began to study composition in Brescia with Margola, subsequently in Rome and in Siena with Casella. He was active as a concert artist until 1953; subsequently, he performed only his own music in public.
Michelangeli introduced him in 1938 to the music of Arnold Schoenberg
, which affected him profoundly and caused him to develop a tremendous interest in the Second Viennese School
. During the war, he gained access to Schoenberg’s scores through Luigi Rognoni, with whom he was studying. By 1940, Schoenberg’s influence was clearly at work in Togni’s Prima serenata for piano, and his new-found technique came to full flower in the Variazioni for piano and orchestra (1945–46), with which he made his compositional debut at the 1946 Venice Festival of Contemporary Music. In 1949, together with Luigi Dallapiccola
and Bruno Maderna
, he addressed the First International Dodecaphonic Congress in Milan. From 1951 to 1957 he attended the Ferienkurse in Darmstadt
, but he found the turn toward aleatoricism
there, beginning in 1957, alien to his nature, and did not return until he was invited back in 1990.
From 1960 to 1961, he taught courses on contemporary music at the University for Foreigners in Florence
. From 1977 to 1988 he held the chair of the Advanced Course in composition at the Conservatory in Parma. Starting in 1989 he taught the special courses in composition at the School of Music in Fiesole.
Amongst the most widely admired works from his post-Darmstadt period are the Charles d'Orléans
settings, Rondeaux per dieci (1963–64). His last project was a trilogy of operas on texts by Georg Trakl
, a poet whose works had engaged Togni’s attention since 1955. The first part, Blaubart, was composed between 1972 and 1975, and the second part, Barrabas, between 1981 and 1985. However, the planned third part, Maria Magdalena, remained unwritten at the time of his death in Brescia in 1993.
Togni was born in Gussago
Gussago
Gussago is a town and comune in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy.This smart town is situated in Franciacorta, a very famous land known for its precious wines...
, near Brescia
Brescia
Brescia is a city and comune in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, between the Mella and the Naviglio, with a population of around 197,000. It is the second largest city in Lombardy, after the capital, Milan...
. He began studying piano at the age of 7, with Franco Margola in Brescia, then from 1939 to 1943 with Alfredo Casella
Alfredo Casella
Alfredo Casella was an Italian composer, pianist and conductor.- Life and career :Casella was born in Turin; his family included many musicians; his grandfather, a friend of Paganini's, was first cello in the San Carlo Theatre in Lisbon and eventually was soloist in the Royal Chapel in Turin...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and Siena
Siena
Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...
, and Giovanni Anfossi in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
. Later he studied with Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli was a virtuoso Italian classical pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century, as well as one of the most important Italian pianists along with Ferruccio Busoni and Maurizio Pollini.-Biography:Born in Brescia, Italy, he began...
, receiving his diploma from the Conservatory of Parma
Parma
Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
in 1946.
He studied Classics in Brescia, musical aesthetics at the University of Milan
University of Milan
The University of Milan is a higher education institution in Milan, Italy. It is one of the largest universities in Europe, with about 62,801 students, a teaching and research staff of 2,455 and a non-teaching staff of 2,200....
, and in 1948 graduated in philosophy from the University of Pavia
University of Pavia
The University of Pavia is a university located in Pavia, Lombardy, Italy. It was founded in 1361 and is organized in 9 Faculties.-History:...
with a dissertation titled “The Aesthetics of B. Croce
Benedetto Croce
Benedetto Croce was an Italian idealist philosopher, and occasionally also politician. He wrote on numerous topics, including philosophy, history, methodology of history writing and aesthetics, and was a prominent liberal, although he opposed laissez-faire free trade...
and the Problem of Musical Interpretation”. Contemporaneously, he began to study composition in Brescia with Margola, subsequently in Rome and in Siena with Casella. He was active as a concert artist until 1953; subsequently, he performed only his own music in public.
Michelangeli introduced him in 1938 to the music of Arnold Schoenberg
Arnold Schoenberg
Arnold Schoenberg was an Austrian composer, associated with the expressionist movement in German poetry and art, and leader of the Second Viennese School...
, which affected him profoundly and caused him to develop a tremendous interest in the Second Viennese School
Second Viennese School
The Second Viennese School is the group of composers that comprised Arnold Schoenberg and his pupils and close associates in early 20th century Vienna, where he lived and taught, sporadically, between 1903 and 1925...
. During the war, he gained access to Schoenberg’s scores through Luigi Rognoni, with whom he was studying. By 1940, Schoenberg’s influence was clearly at work in Togni’s Prima serenata for piano, and his new-found technique came to full flower in the Variazioni for piano and orchestra (1945–46), with which he made his compositional debut at the 1946 Venice Festival of Contemporary Music. In 1949, together with Luigi Dallapiccola
Luigi Dallapiccola
Luigi Dallapiccola was an Italian composer known for his lyrical twelve-tone compositions.-Biography:Dallapiccola was born at Pisino d'Istria , to Italian parents....
and Bruno Maderna
Bruno Maderna
Bruno Maderna was an Italian conductor and composer. For the last ten years of his life he lived in Germany and eventually became a citizen of that country.-Biography:...
, he addressed the First International Dodecaphonic Congress in Milan. From 1951 to 1957 he attended the Ferienkurse in Darmstadt
Darmstadt
Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
, but he found the turn toward aleatoricism
Aleatoric music
Aleatoric music is music in which some element of the composition is left to chance, and/or some primary element of a composed work's realization is left to the determination of its performer...
there, beginning in 1957, alien to his nature, and did not return until he was invited back in 1990.
From 1960 to 1961, he taught courses on contemporary music at the University for Foreigners in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
. From 1977 to 1988 he held the chair of the Advanced Course in composition at the Conservatory in Parma. Starting in 1989 he taught the special courses in composition at the School of Music in Fiesole.
Amongst the most widely admired works from his post-Darmstadt period are the Charles d'Orléans
Charles d'Orléans
Charles d'Orléans may refer to one of the following:*Charles d'Orléans, Duke of Orléans son of Louis I, Duke of Orléans and Valentina Visconti;...
settings, Rondeaux per dieci (1963–64). His last project was a trilogy of operas on texts by Georg Trakl
Georg Trakl
Georg Trakl was an Austrian poet. He is considered one of the most important Austrian Expressionists.- Life and work :Trakl was born and lived the first 18 years of his life in Salzburg, Austria...
, a poet whose works had engaged Togni’s attention since 1955. The first part, Blaubart, was composed between 1972 and 1975, and the second part, Barrabas, between 1981 and 1985. However, the planned third part, Maria Magdalena, remained unwritten at the time of his death in Brescia in 1993.
Principal works
- Tre capricci, for piano, op. 38 (1954–57)
- Fantasia concertante, for flute and strings (1957)
- Helian di Trakl, cycle of Lieder for soprano and chamber ensemble(words of Georg Trakl) (1955)
- Gesang zur Nacht, for contralto and instrumental ensemble (words of Georg Trakl) (1962)
- Recitativo for tape (1961)
- Rondeaux per dieci, for soprano and instrumental ensemble (words of Charles d'Orleans) (1963)
- Three Preludes for harpsichord (1963-75)
- Quarto Capriccio, for piano (1969)
- Blaubart, lyric opera (1972-75) (a companion piece to Duke Bluebeard's Castle)
- Für Herbert, for two violins, viola, and harpsichord (1976)
- Some other where, for orchestra (1977)
- String Trio, for violin, viola and cello(1978)
- Quasi una serenata, for guitar (1979)
- Barrabas, lyric opera (1981-85)
- Permaila for flute and piano(1982)
- Quinto Capriccio, for piano (1987)
- Sesto Capriccio, for piano (1991)
- "Concerto per pianoforte e orchestra (1989-1993, unfinished; finished 2004 by Paulo de Assis)
Sources
- Italian Composers Website http://www.cematitalia.it/servizi/bio.php?lg=eng&cat=comp&id=239
- Osmond-Smith, David. “Camillo Togni.” Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed 31 August 2006), http://www.grovemusic.com