Adolfo Fumagalli (19 October 18283 May 1856) was a 19th-century Italian virtuoso

pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...

and

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

, known today primarily for his virtuosic compositions for the left hand alone. Born in

Inzago Inzago ( lmo, Inzagh or ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Milan in the Italian region of Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan. Inzago borders the following municipalities: Pozzo d'Adda, Masate, Gessate, Cassano ...

, Italy, he grew up in a very musically oriented environment. He had three brothers who also became musicians and composers, these being Carlo (1822-1907),

Luca The last universal common ancestor (LUCA) is the most recent population from which all organisms now living on Earth share common descent—the most recent common ancestor of all current life on Earth. This includes all cellular organisms; th ...

(1837 - 1908), Disma (1826 - 1893) and Polibio (1830 - 1901). Fumagalli studied music with Angeloni at the

Milan Conservatory The Milan Conservatory (''Conservatorio di Milano'') is a college of music in Milan, Italy. History The conservatory was established by a royal decree of 1807 in Milan, capital of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy. It opened the following year ...

and, in 1848, at the age of 20, made his

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

debut with some success. He then travelled to

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, Paris, Belgium and Denmark, playing his own operatic

fantasies Fantasy is a genre of fiction. Fantasy, Fantasie, or Fantasies may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Fantasia (music), a free-form musical composition * ''Fantasie'' (Widmann), a 1993 composition for solo clarinet by Jörg Widmann * ...

and other salon works to great acclaim. In 1856 he returned to Italy and, when he arrived, was soon thereafter given an

Erard Erard may refer to: * St. Erard or Erhard of Regensburg, bishop of Regensburg in the 7th century * Erard I, Count of Brienne (1060 - 1114) * Sébastien Érard (1752 - 1831), French instrument maker of German origin who specialised in the production ...

grand piano from the firm as an advertising promotion. On 1 May that year he gave a concert but, shortly after, fell ill and died days later in Florence. He created his greatest sensation when he began performing his works for left hand. Although he looked rather frail, as is evident from paintings of him, he had a phenomenal technique and strong fingers that astonished everyone. Fumagalli's output is quite extensive, though almost all of it is extremely difficult to obtain today. His works consist primarily of operatic fantasies and character pieces. One of his most difficult and virtuosic works is his ''Grande Fantasie sur Robert le Diable de Meyerbeer'', op.106 (dedicated to

Liszt Franz Liszt, in modern usage ''Liszt Ferenc'' . Liszt's Hungarian passport spelled his given name as "Ferencz". An orthographic reform of the Hungarian language in 1922 (which was 36 years after Liszt's death) changed the letter "cz" to simpl ...

) for the left hand. He also composed an arrangement of

Vincenzo Bellini Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini (; 3 November 1801 – 23 September 1835) was a Sicilian opera composer, who was known for his long-flowing melodic lines for which he was named "the Swan of Catania". Many years later, in 1898, Giu ...

's "Casta Diva" from ''

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'' for the left hand. Almost his entire output is for solo piano and the works which employ other instruments all seem to include the piano in some way, a feature that is similar to Chopin's output. Although he was perhaps not a very inspired or ingenious composer, his works for left hand alone stand nonetheless as an important testament of the progress in technique and virtuosity of the period, especially of single-handed works.

Musical works

List of works:Informazioni
/ref> *Op. 1 ''Fantaisie on motives from Verdi's opera Nabuccodonosor'' for piano *Op. 2 ''Notturno-Studio'' for left hand *Op. 3 ''The Devil's Galop'' for piano *Op. 4a ''Reminiscences of Meyerbeer's opera Robert le Diable'' for piano *Op. 6 ''Tarantelle'' for piano *Op. 8 ''La fucina di Vulcano/ Il Canto dei Ciclopi : scherzo fantastique'' for piano *Op. 11 ''Caprice romantique'' for piano *Op. 12 ''Nocturne sentimentale in Ab Major'' for piano *Op. 13 ''Il genio della danza : scherzo brillant'' for piano *Op. 14 ''Grande fantaisie on motives from Bellini's La Sonnambula'' for piano *Op. 16 ''Pensée pathétique'' for piano *Op. 17 ''Nocturnino'' for piano *Op. 18 **No.1 ''Studio da Concerto based on Fra poco a me ricovero from Donizetti's opera Lucia di Lammermoor'' for left hand **No.2 ''Studio da Concerto based on Coro O Signore del tetto natio from Verdi's opera I Lombardi'' for left hand *Op. 20 ''Les trois soeurs : petites fantaisies'' for piano **No.1 ''Based on Verdi's opera Attila'' **No.2 ''Based on Verdi's opera Foscari'' **No.3 ''Based on Verdi's opera Ernani'' *Op. 21 ''Les clochettes : grande concerto fantastique pour piano avec l'accompagnement d'un grand orchestra et une campanella'' *Op. 23 ''Quatres airs de ballet variés from Verdi's opera Jérusalem'' for piano **No.1 ''Pas de Quatre'' **No.2 ''Pas de Deux'' **No.3 ''Pas Seul'' **No.4 ''Pas d'Ensemble'' *Op. 26 ''Grande Fantaisie Drammatique on motives from Donizetti's opera Lucia di Lammermoor'' for piano *Op. 27 ''Grande Caprice de Concert'' for piano *Op. 28 ''Grande Fantasie on Bellini's opera I Puritani (Dedicated to his brother Polibio'' for piano *Op. 29 ''Nenna : Tarantella Giocosa'' for piano *Op. 30 ''Grande Fantaisie on Bellini's opera Norma'' for piano *Op. 31 ''Petit morceau de salon on Verdi's opera Macbeth'' for piano *Op. 32 ''Petit morceau de salon on Verdi's opera La Battaglia di Legnano'' for piano *Op. 33 ''La pendule : caprice fantastique contenant un galop-carillon et un polka-mazurka'' for piano *Op. 34 ''Petite Fantaisie on Verdi's opera Lucrezia Borgia'' for piano *Op. 35 ''Petite Fantaisie on Donizetti's opera Elisir d'amore'' for piano *Op. 36 ''Beatrice di tenda : petit morceau de salon'' for piano *Op. 37 ''Souvenir de Nice : polka-caprice'' for piano *Op. 38 ''Nocturne: Une Nuit d'Été, passetemps sentimental'' for piano *Op. 39 ''Amorosa : mazurka sentimentale'' for piano *Op. 40 ''La capricciosa : Tyrolienne'' for piano *Op. 41 ''Morceau de salon : chanson espagnole from Rossi's opera Il domino nero'' for piano *Op. 42 ''Morceau de salon on Rossi's opera Il domino nero'' for piano *Op. 43 ''Le prophete : grande fantaisie de bravoure'' for piano *Op. 44 ''La serenade espagnole : morceau elegant'' for piano *Op. 45 ''Fantaisie on Bonoldi's opera Nera Orientale'' for piano *Op. 47 ''Le Postillon : galop de concert'' for piano *Op. 48 ''Le Ruisseau : etude impromptu'' for piano *Op. 49 ''Grande Marche cosaque on a national air'' for piano *Op. 50 ''Serenade napolitaine'' for piano *Op. 51 ''Le Streghe : pièce fantastique'' for piano *Op. 52 ''Musical Recreations: two divertimenti for piano on motives from Verdi's opera Luisa Miller'' **No.1 ''Premier Divertimento'' **No.2 ''Deuxième Divertimento'' *Op. 53 ''Esprits Folles : saltarelle'' for piano *Op. 54 ''Fantaisie on Donizetti's opera Linda de Chamounix'' for piano *Op. 55 ''Stabat Mater by Rossini'' for piano *Op. 56 ''Fantaisie on Bellini's opera La Straniera'' for piano *Op. 57 ''Si loin! : Mélody by

Paul Henrion Paul Henrion, (20 July 1819 – 24 October 1901 ) was a 19th-century French composer. President of the Société des auteurs, compositeurs et éditeurs de musique of which he was a co-founder with Victor Parizot and Ernest Bourget, he was also ...

variée'' for piano *Op. 58 ''Luisa : polka de concert'' for piano *Op. 59 ''Fantaisie on a melody from Verdi's opera Stiffelio'' *Op. 60 ''Grande Fantaisie Militaire'' for piano **No.1 ''Ronda Notturna'' for piano **No.2 ''Una notte al campo'' for piano **No.3 ''Signal d'alarme et conflit de guerre from Bellini's opera Norma'' for piano **No.4 ''Marcia funèbre'' for piano **No.5 ''Inno trionfale from Rossini's opera Le Siège de Corinthe'' for piano **No.6 ''Orgia'' for piano *Op. 60 ''Grande Fantaisie Militaire transcribed for four hands by the author'' *Op. 61 ''Casta diva from Bellini's opera Norma'' for left hand *Op. 62 ''La sacrilega parola : Variations on the Grande Adagio Finale from the 2nd act of Donizetti's opera Poliuto'' for piano *Op. 63 ''Souvenir de Chopin : mazurka'' for piano *Op. 64 ''La Derelitta : pensée romantique'' for piano *Op. 65 ''La festa dell'innocenza : cinque morceaux brillants'' for piano *Op. 66 ''Fantasie brillante on motives from Donizetti's opera Poliuto'' for piano *Op. 68 ''Introduction et Grande Nocturne on Sanelli's opera Il Fornaretto'' for piano *Op. 69 ''La Baccante : caprice burlesque'' for piano *Op. 70 ''Sogno d'amore : pensée fugitive'' for piano *Op. 71 ''Morceau de Salon : caprice on Chiaromonte's opera Il Gondoliero'' for piano *Op. 72 ''Fantaisie Brillante on Verdi's opera I Due Foscari'' for piano *Op. 73 ''Nocturne variée on the romanza Fior di bonta bell'angelo from Villanis's opera La Regina di Leone'' for piano *Op. 74 ''Fantaisie Brillante on Verdi's opera Ernani'' for piano *Op. 75 ''I Lombardi alla prima Crociata : introduction et grande adagio variées sur la terzette "Qual volutta trascorrere"'' for piano *Op. 76 ''Laura : polonaise de concert'' for piano *Op. 77 ''Saluto al Tamigi : deuxième polka de concert, capriccio-impromptu'' for piano *Op. 78 ''Un lamento : deuxième mazurka sentimentale'' for piano *Op. 79 ''L' Absence : romance variée'' for piano *Op. 80 ''La Chasse : morceau brillant'' for piano *Op. 81 ''Grande Ouverture de Benvenuto Cellini par Hector Berlioz : transcrite pour piano'' *Op. 82 ''Nocturne elegant'' for piano *Op. 83 ''La danse des sylphes, de Felix Godefroid : rondo brillant'' for piano *Op. 84 ''Grande Fantaisie on Bellini's opera I Puritani'' for two pianos *Op. 85 ''Preghiera alla Madonna "O Santissima Vergine" : Popular Tuscan song by L. Gordigiani'' transcribed for piano *Op. 86 ''L' Étincelle : reverie de F. Bonoldi variée pour piano'' *Op. 87 ''La buena ventura : chanson andalouse de Yradier variée'' for piano *Op. 88 ''La cloche : mélodie de F. Bonoldi variée pour piano'' *Op. 89 ''Introduction et adagio varié on the romanza "Sempre all'alba ed alla sera" from the opera Giovanna d'Arco'' for piano *Op. 90 ''Le Palmier : polka des magots'' for piano *Op. 91 ''Fantaisie on Verdi's Nabucodonosor'' for piano *Op. 92 ''Paraphrase on the barcarolle Una Barchetta in Mar from Donizetti's opera Gianni di Calais'' for piano *Op. 94 ''Paraphrase on the Grande adagio finale from Coccia's opera La solitaria delle Asturie'' for piano *Op. 95 ''Un carnaval de plus, souvenir de Venice : Caprice de Concert'' for piano *Op. 95b ''Fantaisie on Verdi's opera Il Trovatore'' for piano *Op. 98 ''Fantaisie on Verdi's opera La Traviata'' for piano *Op. 100 ''École Moderne du Pianiste : recueil de 24 morceaux caracteristiques'' for piano *Op. 101 ''Tarantelle de bravoure on Thomas's opera La Tonelli'' for piano *Op. 102 ''Mi mancha la voce (Andante) from Rossini's opera Mosé in Egitto'' for left hand *Op. 103 ''Cantique de Noel'' for piano *Op. 104 ''Berceuse'' for piano *Op. 105 ''L' Échange : ariette'' for piano *Op. 106 ''Grande Fantasie sur Robert le Diable de Meyerbeer (Dedicated to Franz Liszt)'' for left hand *Op. 107 posth. ''Mon Ange : mélodie d'Auguste Morel transcrit pour piano'' *Op. 108 posth. ''Illustrations from Verdi's opera Giovanna de Guzman (I Vespri Siciliani)'' for piano *Op. 108 ''Premier Boléro'' *Op. 109 posth. ''Ariele : nocturne variée from Leoni's opera Suddetta'' for piano *Op. 110 ''Enfants, n'y touchez pas : romance'' for piano *Op. 111 ''Paraphrase on Buzzolla's barcarolle Tace il vento in ciel sereno'' for piano *Op. 112 posth. ''Duettino "Presso alla tomba" (the author's last work)'' for piano Also included in his output are several songs for voice and piano.

References

External links

*
Grande Fantaisie sur Robert le Diable, for piano left hand, Op.106
played by Artur Cimirro on YouTube {{DEFAULTSORT:Fumagalli, Adolfo 1828 births 1856 deaths 19th-century classical composers 19th-century classical pianists 19th-century Italian male musicians Italian Romantic composers Italian classical composers Italian male classical composers Italian classical pianists Italian male pianists Male classical pianists Classical pianists who played with one arm Milan Conservatory alumni People from the Province of Milan