F. Bongiovanni (1905) of

Bologna Bologna (, , ; egl, label=Emilian language, Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 1 ...

is an Italian classical music publisher and, since 1975, classical record label. The company was founded by Francesco Bongiovanni to publish the works of then modern composers such as Respighi,

Zandonai Riccardo Zandonai (28 May 1883 – 5 June 1944) was an Italian composer. Biography Zandonai was born in Borgo Sacco, Rovereto, then part of Austria-Hungary. As a young man, he showed such an aptitude for music that he entered the Pesaro Conse ...

Alfano Alfano is a village and small ''comune'' in the province of Salerno in the Campania region of south-western Italy. As of December 31, 2012, the comune had a population of 1082. History There is little reliable evidence on the ancient history of A ...

, Pietro Cimara, and

Francesco Balilla Pratella Francesco Balilla Pratella (Lugo, Italy February 1, 1880 – Ravenna, Italy May 17, 1955) was an Italian composer, musicologist and essayist. One of the leading advocates of Futurism in Italian music, much of Pratella's own music betrays little o ...

. Among the most famous pieces published by Bongiovanni are Respighi's Nebbie and Balilla Pratella's futurist manifesto in music, Musica Futurista. Bongiovanni played a central role in promoting music written by the composers of the Generazione dell'80, and in 1938 Alfredo Casella wrote: "The history of music in Bologna can't be written without the name Bongiovanni". Piero Cappuccilli

In 1975, Bongiovanni produced its first record, a live recital of

Mirella Freni Mirella Freni, OMRI (, born Mirella Fregni, 27 February 1935 – 9 February 2020) was an Italian operatic soprano who had a career of 50 years and appeared at major international opera houses. She received international attention at the Gl ...

, for which the company received the 1976 Award of the Italian Record Critics. At that time, professional produced live recordings of classical music were still a rarity, and the then owner Giancarlo Bongiovanni can be seen as a pioneer in this regard. Soon, the company expanded its catalogue of live recordings, knitting close ties to the most prolific opera singers of the 1970s and 1980s: from Luciano Pavarotti to

Piero Cappuccilli Piero Cappuccilli (November 9, 1926 – July 11, 2005) was an Italian operatic baritone. Best known for his interpretations of Verdi roles, he was widely regarded as one of the finest Italian baritones of the second half of the 20th century. He w ...

, from

Mariella Devia Mariella Devia (born 12 April 1948) is an Italian operatic soprano. After beginning her career as a lyric coloratura soprano, in the finale part of it she also enjoyed considerable success with some of the most dramatic roles in the bel canto ...

to Giuseppe Giacomini. Today, their label is not only known for live recordings and historical opera recordings, but also for unusual recordings of rare Italian repertoire and particularly lesser known bel canto Italian operas. Bongiovanni also has a long history as a publisher of books of musical interest. Among the most famous books published by Bongiovanni is

Giacomo Lauri-Volpi Giacomo Lauri-Volpi (11 December 1892 – 17 March 1979) was an Italian tenor with a lyric voice of exceptional range and technical facility. He performed throughout Europe and the Americas in a top-class career that spanned 40 years. Caree ...

's Voci Parallele. The company runs a small shop in Bologna where they sell records, books and sheet music.International record review: Volume 1, Issues 1-6; Volume 1, Issues 1-6 2000 The solitary recording of L'esule di Roma is a live performance from the Ligurian city of Savona on the Bongiovanni label. Bongiovanni, whose little record shop in Bologna is a collectors' mecca, specializes in rarity recordings, ...

References

{{Authority control Classical music record labels 1905 establishments in Italy Record labels established in 1975 Publishing companies established in 1905