Rodolfo Celletti
Encyclopedia
Rodolfo Celletti was an Italian musicologist
, critic, voice teacher, and novelist. Considered one of the leading scholars of the opera
tic voice and the history of operatic performance, he published many books and articles on the subject as well as several novels.
on 13 June 1917. He served in the Italian army from 1937 to 1943, and after World War II
, took a degree in law from the University of Rome. He became a successful business executive in Milan
, and then created a second career for himself as a (self-taught) musicologist and critic.
For many years he was the music critic of the Italian weekly magazine Epoca and was a regular contributor to la Repubblica
, L'opera, Nuova rivista musicale italiana, Opera
, and Amadeus. In addition to his articles in specialist publications and The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, he published several books, most notably Le grandi voci (1964), at the time considered the most complete biographical and critical source available on the great operatic voices and Storia del belcanto (1983), which has since been translated into English, French and German.
From 1980 to 1993 he was the Artistic Director of the Festival della Valle d'Itria
in Martina Franca
. The Festival, which specializes in performing rare operas and the original versions of operas still in the standard repertoire, also provides coaching in vocal performance for young singers. Celletti taught voice both privately and in master classes, many of them at the Festival della Valle d'Itria. Amongst his former pupils are Denia Mazzola
, Mariana Nicolesco
, Angelo Manzotti
, William Matteuzzi
, Leonardo Villeda and Ramón Vargas
.
Rodolfo Celletti died in October 2004 at the age of 87. In August of the following year, the Festival della Valle d'Itria performed Cherubini
's Requiem in C minor
in his memory.
Musicology
Musicology is the scholarly study of music. The word is used in narrow, broad and intermediate senses. In the narrow sense, musicology is confined to the music history of Western culture...
, critic, voice teacher, and novelist. Considered one of the leading scholars of the 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...
tic voice and the history of operatic performance, he published many books and articles on the subject as well as several novels.
Biography
Rodolfo Celletti was born in RomeRome
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...
on 13 June 1917. He served in the Italian army from 1937 to 1943, and after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, took a degree in law from the University of Rome. He became a successful business executive 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 ,...
, and then created a second career for himself as a (self-taught) musicologist and critic.
For many years he was the music critic of the Italian weekly magazine Epoca and was a regular contributor to la Repubblica
La Repubblica
la Repubblica is an Italian daily general-interest newspaper. Founded in 1976 in Rome by the journalist Eugenio Scalfari, as of 2008 is the second largest circulation newspaper, behind the Corriere della Sera.-Foundation:...
, L'opera, Nuova rivista musicale italiana, Opera
Opera (magazine)
Opera is a monthly British magazine devoted to covering all things related to opera.Based in London, the magazine was founded in 1950 by George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood. It was launched at the house of Richard Buckle, under the imprint 'Ballet Publications Ltd'...
, and Amadeus. In addition to his articles in specialist publications and The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, he published several books, most notably Le grandi voci (1964), at the time considered the most complete biographical and critical source available on the great operatic voices and Storia del belcanto (1983), which has since been translated into English, French and German.
From 1980 to 1993 he was the Artistic Director of the Festival della Valle d'Itria
Festival della Valle d'Itria
The Festival della Valle d’Itria is a summer opera festival held in the south eastern Italian town of Martina Franca in the Apulia region. The Festival was founded in 1975 and performances are given in July and August each summer on a specially constructed stage in the outdoor courtyard of the...
in Martina Franca
Martina Franca
Martina Franca is a town and comune in the province of Taranto, Apulia , Italy. It is the second most populated city of the province after Taranto....
. The Festival, which specializes in performing rare operas and the original versions of operas still in the standard repertoire, also provides coaching in vocal performance for young singers. Celletti taught voice both privately and in master classes, many of them at the Festival della Valle d'Itria. Amongst his former pupils are Denia Mazzola
Denia Mazzola
Denia Mazzola - Gavazzeni, is an operatic soprano, born February 4, 1953 in Bergamo, Italy.- Life :She studied at the Conservatory of Verona under Rina Malatrasi, Rodolfo Celletti and Leyla Gencer...
, Mariana Nicolesco
Mariana Nicolesco
Mariana Nicolesco is a Romanian operatic soprano, particularly associated with Mozart, Verdi and the Belcanto repertory.-Career:Mariana Nicolesco studied violin at the Brasov School of Music getting her diploma with the Bruch Concerto, and voice, for a short period, at the Cluj-Napoca Academy of...
, Angelo Manzotti
Angelo Manzotti
Angelo Manzotti is an Italian countertenor or sopranist born in 1971 in Marmirolo, Italy.He began singing in the falsetto register at the age of twelve. He studied at the Accademia Rossiniana in Pesaro and made his debut in August 1989 at the Rossini Opera Festival there...
, William Matteuzzi
William Matteuzzi
William Matteuzzi is an Italian operatic tenor renowned for his impressive vocal range and prominent upper register, reaching a high F in full voice., which enabled him to participate in the recent revival of the tenore contraltino repertoire...
, Leonardo Villeda and Ramón Vargas
Ramón Vargas
Ramón Vargas is an award-winning Mexican operatic tenor. Since his debut in the early '90s, he has developed to become one of the most acclaimed tenors of the 21st century. Known for his most expressive and agile lyric tenor voice, he is especially successful in the bel canto...
.
Rodolfo Celletti died in October 2004 at the age of 87. In August of the following year, the Festival della Valle d'Itria performed Cherubini
Luigi Cherubini
Luigi Cherubini was an Italian composer who spent most of his working life in France. His most significant compositions are operas and sacred music. Beethoven regarded Cherubini as the greatest of his contemporaries....
's Requiem in C minor
Requiem (Cherubini)
The Requiem in C minor for mixed chorus was written by Luigi Cherubini in 1815 and premiered 21 January 1816 at a commemoration service for Louis XVI of France...
in his memory.
Non-fiction
- Le grandi voci: Dizionario critico, biografico dei cantanti, Istituto per la collaborazione culturale, 1964
- Il teatro d'opera in disco, Rizzoli, 1976.
- Storia del belcanto, Discanto, 1983 (also published in English translation as A History of Bel Canto, Oxford University Press, 1996, ISBN 0198166419)
- Memorie d'un ascoltatore: Cronache musicali vere e immaginarie, Il Saggiatore, 1985.
- Il canto, Garzanti (Edizioni Speciali Vallardi), 1989
- Voce di tenore, IdeaLibri, 1989. ISBN 8870821277
- Storia dell'opera italiana, Garzanti, 2000. ISBN 8847900247
- La grana della voce: opere, direttori e cantanti, Baldini & Castoldi, 2000. ISBN 8880897810
Novels
- Viale Bianca Maria, Feltrinelli, 1961 (also published in English translation as Marta, George Braziller, 1962, ISBN 0807601772)
- Gli squadriglieri, Bompiani, 1975
- Tu che le vanità, Rizzoli, 1981
- L'infermiera inglese, Giunti, 1995. ISBN 8809206320
External links
- Rodolfo Celletti on WorldCatWorldCatWorldCat is a union catalog which itemizes the collections of 72,000 libraries in 170 countries and territories which participate in the Online Computer Library Center global cooperative...