Giorgio Battistelli

Giorgio Battistelli
Battistelli in 2012
Born
EducationConservatory of L'Aquila
Occupations
  • Composer
  • Festival director
Organizations

Giorgio Battistelli is an Italian composer of contemporary classical music.

Early life and education

Giorgio Battistelli was born in Albano Laziale, Italy.

He studied at the conservatory in L'Aquila, and is a former student of Stockhausen and Kagel.[1]

Career

By 2009, Battistelli had written nearly 20 operas, on subjects ranging from Diderot and d'Alembert's Encyclopaedia to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.[1]

From 1985 to 1986 he was host of the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst in Berlin. In 1994 he co-founded an improvisation group called Edgard Varèse, and an instrumental ensemble named Beat '72.

In October 2009, his opera Miracle in Brisbane was performed for the Brisbane Festival in Brisbane, Australia, directed by Rhoda Roberts and starring an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cast, including Aaron Fa'aoso, Deborah Mailman, Djakapurra Munyarrayan, and Casey Donovan.[2][3]

In November 2009 he was artistic director of the Jerwood Opera Writing Programme hosted by Aldeburgh Music in England.[1]

His opera CO2, based on Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, premiered at La Scala opera house in Milan in 2015.[4][5]

Battistelli's opera Wake was premiered by the Birmingham Opera Company in March 2018 and is inspired by the story of Lazarus being brought back from the dead.[6]

He was artistic director of the Cantiere Internazionale d'Arte di Montepulciano, the Orchestra Regionale Toscana.

He has been director of the music section of the Venice Biennale.

His music is published by Ricordi and recordings available on Stradivarius.

Recognition and awards

In 1990 Battistelli won the SIAE award for an opera, and in 1993 the Cervo Prize for contemporary music.

He was awarded the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic on 27 December 2020.[7]

Stage works

Title Format Libretto and source Premiere
Experimentum Mundi Opera di musica immaginistica, 60' the composer, after the Encyclopédie of Diderot and D'Alembert May 1981; Teatro Olimpico, Rome
Linzer Stahloper Sep 1982; Hauptplatz, Linz
Jules Verne Fantasia da camera, 60' Sep 1987; Strasbourg
Aphrodite Monodramma di costumi antichi, 50' after the novel Aphrodite: mœurs antiques by Pierre Louÿs Jul 1988; Villa Massimo, Rome
Combattimento di Ettore e Achille Représentation de corps et de mémoire, 60' the composer, after texts of Homer, Tirso de Molina, Goethe, Schiller, Shakespeare, Du Bellay, Racine, Stazio, Quintus, Monti, Leopardi, Foscolo, Chiabrera, Ariosto, Catullo, Ronsard, Valéry Sep 1989; Festival Musica, Strasbourg
Keplers Traum Kammeroper, 60' the composer, loosely after Kepler Sep 1990; Brucknerhaus, Linz
Teorema Parabola in musica in 2 atti (16 scene), 70' the composer, loosely after the film by Pier Paolo Pasolini Mar 1992; Teatro Comunale, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino
Frau Frankenstein Monodramma del Prometeo moderno, 35' the composer, after Mary Shelley Mar 1993; Berliner Festspiele
Prova d’Orchestra Teatro di musica Nov 1995; Strasbourg
The Cenci Music theatre the composer and Nick Ward, after the setting by Antonin Artaud of the verse drama by Shelley Jul 1997; Almeida Opera Festival, London
Die Entdeckung der Langsamkeit Musiktheater in 5 scenes, 70' Michael Klügl, after the novel by Sten Nadolny Oct 1997; Theater Bremen
Impressions d'Afrique Music theatre Lavaudant and Loayza, after texts by Roussel, Blake, Dickens, Morgenstern, Rabelais, Saba, Tasso May 2000; Teatro Goldoni/ Maggio Musicale Fiorentino
Auf den Marmorklippen Musikalische visionen, 100' Giorgio van Straten and the composer, after the novel by Ernst Jünger Mar 2002; Nationaltheater Mannheim
The Embalmer Monodramma giocoso da camera, 70' Renzo Rosso Jul 2002; Almeida Opera Festival, London
Der Herbst des Patriarchen Opera in 6 scenes, 110' Gotthart Kuppel, after El otoño del patriarca by Gabriel García Márquez Jun 2004; Theater Bremen
Richard III Dramma musicale in 2 acts, 150' Ian Burton, after the play by Shakespeare Jan 2005;[8] Flemish Opera, Antwerp
Miracolo a Milano Music theatre, 90' the composer, loosely after the novel Totò il buono by Cesare Zavattini and its film adaption Miracolo a Milano by Vittorio De Sica Nov 2007; Teatro Valli, Reggio Emilia
The Fashion Opera Mondana in 12 scenes, 90' Bob Goody Jan 2008; Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Düsseldorf
Divorzio all'Italiana Azione musicale in 23 tavole per il crepuscolo della famiglia, 90' the composer, loosely after the film by Pietro Germi Sep 2008; Opéra national de Lorraine, Nancy, France
Miracle in Brisbane October 2009; Brisbane Festival, Australia
CO2 Opera, 90' Ian Burton, Sung in English with electronic libretto in Italian, English May 2015; La Scala, Milan
Il Medico dei Pazzi Opera 2016; Opéra national de Lorraine, Nancy
Lot Opera 2017; Staatsoper Hannover
Wake Opera Sarah Woods March 2018; Birmingham Opera Company

References

  1. 1 2 3 Dammann, Guy. "How do you write an opera? Aldeburgh has the answer", The Guardian (6 November 2009)
  2. ↑ "Miracle in Brisbane". Madeline Taylor. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  3. ↑ "Brisbane Festival 2009 Miracle in Brisbane". Brisbane Festival. 3 March 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2024. PDF
  4. ↑ Knauf, Ana Sofia (5 June 2015). "Al Gore inspired an opera on climate change". Grist. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  5. ↑ "CO₂ - Teatro alla Scala". Archived from the original on 25 July 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  6. ↑ "WAKE - World Premiere - SOLD OUT". February 2018. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  7. ↑ "Le onorificenze della Repubblica Italiana". www.quirinale.it. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  8. ↑ Loomis, George, "A bold take on 'Richard III'", New York Times (February 9, 2005)