(Turin, July 25th, 1883 - Rome, March 5th, 1947)
A pupil of his mother and the Paris Conservatory since 1896, he lived here for many years, making himself known and appreciated as a composer and concert performer and presenting to the French public the most significant works of the latest generation of Italian musicians. Having settled in Rome in 1915, he was active as a pianist, conductor, teacher, and organizer, founding the Italian Society of Modern Music in 1917, which became the Corporation of New Music in 1923.
As a piano teacher at S. Cecilia since 1915, Casella's dedication to the diffusion of modern, Italian, and foreign music was unwavering. From 1937, he directed the Venetian Contemporary Music Festival, always actively involved in organizing musical life. His work as a writer, critic, and lecturer further underscored his commitment to the music world. Unfortunately, his life was cut short by cancer, but his contributions continue to be appreciated.
The figure of Casella remains in Italian music above all for his activity as a tireless entertainer: he was among the first to perceive in Italy the need for a renewal of instrumental music, to refer to the study of ancient Italian composers and at the same time to take into account what was being done outside our country. He thus played his role in the deprovincialization of Italian musical life, and the campaign he led against the degeneration of realist melodrama bore good results for the subsequent evolution of music. On the other hand, the support he gave to the fascist regime and his conception of "Mediterranean" music suited to the characteristics of the Latin race led him to a theoretical a prioriism, which did not allow him to pursue that need with real coherence, of renewal of the music that he himself had keenly heard in his youth and which he had found distinguished representatives elsewhere.
Partita for piano and orchestra op. 42 (1925)
After 1920, Casella's interest in the forms of the Italian instrumental tradition became evident. This led to the creation of his Partita, a typical form of Italian instrumental music from the 1600s. It's noteworthy that shortly after Casella, younger Italian musicians such as Ghedini, Petrassi, and Dallapiccola also composed similar pieces. Casella's Partita, written in a simple and flowing diatonic style, is a testament to his skill and craftsmanship. It revives the spirit of ancient Italian music in a serene discourse, supported by a vigorous rhythm that occasionally hints at Stravinskian influence.
The tempos of the Partita are: "Sinfonia" ('Allegro un poco maestoso-Vivacissimo'), "Passacaglia" (a theme 'Andante mosso, ma grave,' 12 variations and coda) and "Burlesca" ('Allegro vivissimo e con brio ').
