Antonino Gandolfo Brancaleone (24 April 1820, in

Catania Catania (, , Sicilian and ) is the second largest municipality in Sicily, after Palermo. Despite its reputation as the second city of the island, Catania is the largest Sicilian conurbation, among the largest in Italy, as evidenced also by ...

– 6 June 1888, in Catania) was an Italian composer. His masterpiece was '' Il Sultano'' (1851).

Biography

He began his studies in

Palermo Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...

with

Pietro Raimondi Pietro Raimondi (December 20, 1786, Rome – October 30, 1853) was an Italian composer, transitional between the Classical and Romantic eras. While he was famous at the time as a composer of operas and sacred music, he was also as an innovat ...

. Afterward Antonino moved to Naples to study with

Saverio Mercadante Giuseppe Saverio Raffaele Mercadante (baptised 17 September 179517 December 1870) was an Italian composer, particularly of operas. While Mercadante may not have retained the international celebrity of Gaetano Donizetti or Gioachino Rossini beyond ...

. Back in

, after this training period, he composed sacred and chamber music. He composed the oratory ''La disfatta degli Assiri'' (The Assyrian Defeat)(1850) and ''Gerusalemme Liberata'' (Jerusalem Delivered) (1852), both performed in Catania during the August Saint Agatha festivities. In 1851, at the Teatro Comunale di Catania was performed for the first time ''Il Sultano'' or ''Maometto II'' (The Sultan or Muhammad II). The same opera was performed in Naples at the Teatro di San Carlo in 1854 with enthusiastic success, thanks also to the outstanding cast of singers, which included among others the tenor Emilio Pancani and soprano Carlotta Carrozzi Zucchi. In 1859 the opera ''Caterina di Guisa'' (Catherine of Guise) was performed for the first time at Teatro Comunale di Catania. In 1859, he was appointed director of the Teatro Comunale di Catania. Antonino had to leave soon Sicily, taking refuge in Malta, to escape the Bourbon police because of his activities as a patriot and opponent of Bourbon's regime. In Malta he remained until Garibaldi's arrival in Sicily (1860), then Antonino returned to his hometown. He devoted himself again to composition and teaching. Among from period Antonino's works mention should be made for the ''Marcia Funebre'' (Funeral March), written in occasion of the

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 spoils repatriation from Paris (1876), as well as the ''Inaugurazione'' symphony (Opening symphony), written in occasion of the scientist patriot Vincenzo Tedeschi's celebration. The Opera Angelo Malipieri remained unpublished.Pastura (1968)

Operas

Inventory of manuscripts in ''Antonino Gandolfo fund'' at the ''Bellini Musical Institute'' in Catania (Sicily, Italy) *''Caterina di Guisa'' (1859) Manuscript of the opera. *''Maometto II'' or ''Il Sultano'' (1886) Manuscript of the opera. *''Principi di musica per ben suonare il cembalo ed organo, ed anche necessari per insegnare il contrappunto''. Pamphlet. *Musical notes *''Agnese''. Score of the opera (Act II) *''Gloria'' (voices and orchestra, full score) *''Tu che dal cielo difendi i prodi'' (2 sopranos, incomplete) *''Laudamus gratias'' (soprano and orchestra, full score) *''Symphony in e flat'' (full score) *''Oratorio'' (voices and orchestra, full score) *''Qui tollis'' (voices and orchestra, full score) *''Kyrie'' *''Tantum ergo'' (voices and orchestra, full score) *''Marcia funebre in occasione del trasporto delle ceneri di Vincenzo Bellini da Parigi a Catania del maestro Antonino Gandolfi (riduzione per banda di Settimio Sardo)''(score) *''Romances'' (voice and piano) *''Symphony in f'' (reduction for piano 4 hands) *''Inno di guerra (1848)'' (orchestra) *''Magnificat'' (three voices and orchestra, score) *''Fantasia "Un alloro a Bellini"'' (orchestra) *''Vespro'' (2 tenors, bass and orchestra, score) *''Ah no tuo figlio prenditi / Aria finale negl'Illinesi del maestro Coppola'' (voice and piano) *''Dialogo'' (voices and orchestra) *''Sinfonia fantastica'' (orchestra, full score) *''Domine Deus'' (voices e orchestra, full score) *''Qui tollis'' (voices e orchestra, full score) *''Messa di gloria'' (voices e orchestra, full score) *''Cum Sanctu Spirito'' (voices e orchestra, full score) *Fragments

Sources

* * *

Notes

External links

www.gandolfosfamilyarts.com

Antonino Gandolfo su Eliodoro.net
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gandolfo Brancaleone, Antonino 1820 births 1888 deaths Musicians from Catania Composers from Sicily Italian classical composers Italian male classical composers Italian opera composers Male opera composers 19th-century classical composers Italian Romantic composers 19th-century Italian male musicians