Italo Montemezzi
Encyclopedia
Italo Montemezzi was an Italian
composer
. He is best known for his opera
L'amore dei tre re
(The Love of the Three Kings), once part of the standard repertoire.
Montemezzi was born in Vigasio
, near Verona
. He studied music at the Milan Conservatory
and subsequently taught harmony there for one year.
His opera L’amore dei tre re, written in 1913, launched his career and enabled him to devote himself to composition. His opera La nave had its world premiere in Milan
in 1918. In 1919 he visited the United States
, conducting the American premiere of La nave at the Chicago Opera Association
on November 18. He lived in Southern California
from 1939 and commemorated Italy's surrender with Italia mia (1944), but later made frequent trips to Italy and returned permanently in 1949.
Other non-operatic works include the symphonic poem
Paolo e Virginia (after Paul et Virginie
) and the cantata The Song of Songs
.
As a composer, Montemezzi was admired for combining traditional Italian lyricism with a Wagner
ian approach to the use of the orchestra in opera, with instrumental color influenced by the works of Debussy
.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
. He is best known for his opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
L'amore dei tre re
L'amore dei tre re
L'amore dei tre re is an opera in three acts by Italo Montemezzi. Its Italian-language libretto was written by playwright Sem Benelli who based it on his own play of the same title.-Performance history:...
(The Love of the Three Kings), once part of the standard repertoire.
Montemezzi was born in Vigasio
Vigasio
Vigasio is a comune in the Province of Verona in the Italian region Veneto, located about 110 km west of Venice and about 14 km southwest of Verona...
, near Verona
Verona
Verona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
. He studied music at the Milan Conservatory
Milan Conservatory
The Milan Conservatory is a college of music which was established by a royal decree of 1807 in Milan, capital of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy. It opened the following year with premises in the cloisters of the Baroque church of Santa Maria della Passione. There were initially 18 boarders,...
and subsequently taught harmony there for one year.
His opera L’amore dei tre re, written in 1913, launched his career and enabled him to devote himself to composition. His opera La nave had its world premiere 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 ,...
in 1918. In 1919 he visited the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, conducting the American premiere of La nave at the Chicago Opera Association
Chicago Opera Association
The Chicago Opera Association was a company that produced seven seasons of grand opera in Chicago’s Auditorium Theater from 1915 to 1921. The founding artistic director and principal conductor was Cleofonte Campanini, while the general manager and chief underwriter was Harold F. McCormick...
on November 18. He lived in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
from 1939 and commemorated Italy's surrender with Italia mia (1944), but later made frequent trips to Italy and returned permanently in 1949.
Other non-operatic works include the symphonic poem
Symphonic poem
A symphonic poem or tone poem is a piece of orchestral music in a single continuous section in which the content of a poem, a story or novel, a painting, a landscape or another source is illustrated or evoked. The term was first applied by Hungarian composer Franz Liszt to his 13 works in this vein...
Paolo e Virginia (after Paul et Virginie
Paul et Virginie
Paul et Virginie is a novel by Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre, first published in 1787. The novel's title characters are very good friends since birth who fall in love...
) and the cantata The Song of Songs
Song of songs
Song of Songs, also known as the Song of Solomon, is a book of the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament. It may also refer to:In music:* Song of songs , the debut album by David and the Giants* A generic term for medleysPlays...
.
As a composer, Montemezzi was admired for combining traditional Italian lyricism with a Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
ian approach to the use of the orchestra in opera, with instrumental color influenced by the works of Debussy
Claude Debussy
Claude-Achille Debussy was a French composer. Along with Maurice Ravel, he was one of the most prominent figures working within the field of impressionist music, though he himself intensely disliked the term when applied to his compositions...
.
Operas
- Bianca 1901 (never performed)
- Giovanni Gallurese (Turin, 1905)
- Hellera (Turin, 1909)
- San Pantaleone (Milan, 1910)
- L'amore dei tre reL'amore dei tre reL'amore dei tre re is an opera in three acts by Italo Montemezzi. Its Italian-language libretto was written by playwright Sem Benelli who based it on his own play of the same title.-Performance history:...
(Milan, 1913; New York, 1914) - La naveLa naveLa nave is an opera in 1 act and 3 scenes by Italian composer Italo Montemezzi. Its Italian language libretto was adapted by Tito Ricordi from Gabriele d'Annunzio's 1908 play of the same name. The opera premiered at La Scala in Milan on November 3, 1918 conducted Tullio Serafin...
(Milan, 1918) Piano score at Sibley Music Library - La notte di Zoraima 1931 reviewed in Time magazine
- L'incantesimoL'incantesimoL'incantesimo is a short opera in one act by Italian composer Italo Montemezzi. Its libretto was written by playwright Sem Benelli who had previously collaborated with the composer on his most famous opera, L'amore dei tre re...
1943 - La Principessa Lontana (incomplete)