Gavazzeni Gianandrea *27 July 1909 Bergamo, †5 February 1996 Bergamo, Italian conductor, composer, and music writer. He studied at the conservatory in Milan under R. Lorenzoni (piano diploma, 1929) and I. Pizzetti (composition diploma, 1931). His first work, Preludio sinfonico, was composed in 1928. From 1949 onward, Gavazzeni gave up composing and performing his own works. From around 1940 he developed an extensive career as an opera conductor in Italy, other European countries, and the United States. From 1966 to 1968 he served as artistic director of La Scala. He also worked as a critic for “Corriere della Sera” and Italian music journals. In 1974 he received a critics’ prize for his book Non eseguire Beethoven e altri scritti.
Gavazzeni’s early compositions were influenced by I. Pizzetti. Over time, he turned toward neoclassicism, drawing on the folk music of his native Lombardy. His opera Paolo e Virginia and oratorio Canti per Sant’Alessandro were well received. Through his wide-ranging activity, Gavazzeni played an important role in Italian musical culture. As a conductor, he contributed significantly to the popularization of Bruckner in Italy. He was also a very active music writer, focusing particularly on 19th-century dramatic music. He gained renown as an opera conductor, appearing at the world’s leading opera houses (La Scala, the Metropolitan Opera House, and the Bolshoi Theatre etc.) where he conducted not only the traditional repertoire of 19th-century Italian opera but also promoted the works of contemporary Italian composers (Dallapiccola, Malipiero, and Pizzetti).
Literature: G. Gavazzeni La casa di Arlecchino, Milan 1957 (memoirs); M. Mila Gianandrea Gavazzeni. Critico e scrittore, “La Rassegna Musicale Italiana” XLIV, 1974.
Compositions:
Instrumental:
Preludio sinfonico, 1928
Sonata in F major for cello and piano, 1930
Violin Sonata in G major, 1930
Sonatina in F major for piano, 1930
Concerto bergamasco, 1931
Piano Trio in D major, 1931
Canzone for piano, 1932
Piano Sonata in F major, 1933
Fantasia for cello and piano, 1934
Canzone e Furlana for violin and piano, 1935
Preludio for violin and piano, 1935
Canti di operai lombardi for orchestra, 1936
Concerto in la for cello and orchestra, 1936
Violin Concerto, 1937
Piccolo concerto for flute, horn and string orchestra, 1940
Ritmi e paesaggi di atleti for orchestra, 1940
3 concerti di Cinquandò No. 1, 1941
3 concerti di Cinquandò No. 2, 1942
Bergamasca for piano, 1942
Sonata for flute and piano, 1944
Sonata da cassa for solo violin, piano, and string orchestra, 1944
Due sonate in un tempo solo for piano, 1945
3 concerti di Cinquandò No. 3 for string orchestra, 1949
Vocal and vocal-instrumental, including:
Trittico for a cappella choir, 1931
Quattro madrigali del Tasso for baritone and piano, 1933
Canti per Sant’ Alessandro, cantata for solo voice, choir, and orchestra, 1934
Due arie religiose for soprano and orchestra, 1935
Dialogo for tenor, baritone, and orchestra, 1936
Notturni di bevitori bergamaschi for tenor and orchestra, 1938
Coro di contr abbandieri di grappa for a cappella choir, 1940
Cinque poesie di B. Dal Fabbro, songs for voice and piano, 1943
Quattro sonetti di Orfeo di Rilke, songs for voice and piano, 1943
Cantata di caccia for mixed choir and orchestra, 1946
Concerto lirico for voice and orchestra
Stage:
Il furioso all’isola di San Domingo, ballet, staged as Panfila, San Remo 1935
Paolo e Virginia, opera, libretto Ghisalberti, staged in Bergamo 1935
Writings:
Gaetano Donizetti. Vita e musiche, Milan 1937
Tre studi su Pizzetti, Como 1937
Gaetano Donizetti, Turin 1938
Viaggio in paesi musicali, Florence 1939
Musorgskij e la musica russa dell’Ottocento, Florence 1943
Le feste musicali, Milan 1944
Parole e suoni, Milan 1946
Il suono è stanco, Bergamo 1950
Quaderno del musicista, Bergamo 1952
Musicisti d’Europa, Milan 1954
La musica e il teatro, Piza 1954
La morte dell’opera, Milan 1954
Altri studi pizzettiani, Bergamo 1956
Trent’anni di musica, Milan 1958
I nemici della musica, Milan 1965
Carta da musica, Milan 1968
Non eseguire Beethoven e altri scritti, Milan 1974
