The composer Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco was one of the most prolific Italian composers of the first half of the twentieth century. Born in Florence in 1895, he descended from a prominent family of bankers established in the Italian city since the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492.
In his thirties, his work was in demand by performers of the stature of Jascha Heifetz and Andrés Segovia. So, everything seemed to indicate that there was a promising future ahead of him based on purely academic composition, following in the footsteps of his Florentine ancestors Lully or Cherubini. But the historical-social conditions – the reality, in a word –, would determine an unforeseen turn of events for the young Mario, who at the age of nineteen had graduated as a pianist.
Exile
In 1933 the Italian fascist government began to promote its particular vision of the arts, and even before the official promulgation of the Italian racist laws in 1938, Castelnuovo-Tedesco's extensive work, which by that time encompassed music of almost every genre – chamber, vocal and choral, opera, keyboard and orchestral – was banned from the radio and his performances were cancelled. The composer had to emigrate to the United States, where he was generously welcomed by his compatriot Arturo Toscanini, a few weeks after the outbreak of World War II.
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| Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895 - 1968) |
Settled in California, he resumed his task by composing in the copious variety of genres he was accustomed to. But, from 1940 and for approximately fifteen years, he had to complement his career by writing music for the cinema, a domain in which he was extraordinarily productive. He would compose the soundtrack for around 250 films, although he did not reach the overwhelming success of his compatriot Nino Rota. Starting in 1946, he became a professor at the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music, with Henry Mancini, Jerry Goldsmith, and John Williams among his students.
His work and the guitar
His music was influenced by various styles, including a brief flirtation with serialism, but in his later years he moved towards a kind of neo-romanticism, perhaps due to his ties with the film industry, according to some scholars.
Castelnuovo-Tedesco's greatest and most lasting contribution lies in his compositions for guitar. In 1932 he met Andrés Segovia, and in 1939 he composed for him his first Concierto for guitar and orchestra, premiered shortly after by the Spanish maestro in Montevideo. It will be followed by a second guitar concerto, one for two guitars and then about a hundred different compositions for the instrument.
Movements:
00:19 Allegretto - A sort of stately classical-style melody introduces the movement.
06:57 Andantino alla romanza - Peacefully melancholic, the movement is based on three Italian folk songs.
14:40 Ritmico e cavalleresco - A somewhat sardonic melody serves as the basis for its development.
The rendition is by the brilliant Italian guitarist Flavio Sala, accompanied by The Samara Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Mikhail Sherbakov. Performance in 2011, in Samara, Russia.
