The symphonies and tone-poems of Giuseppe Martucci (1856-1909) have retained a place on the fringes of the repertoire outside his native Italy thanks to advocacy by Arturo Toscanini and, latterly, Riccardo Muti. Martucci was a man of protean talents and unflagging energy, who excelled as a composer, pianist, conductor, teacher and moving force in musical culture. The direction of that force was set against the prevailing operatic scene of contemporary Italy – except, notably, where it intersected with German music. Thus he conducted Brahms, Liszt and especially Beethoven, as well as the Italian premiere of Tristan und Isolde. His own piano music is a continuation of the Lisztian tradition – at least, it becomes so, after flirting with the world of salon music in his early 20s.
Works:
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Martucci: Fantasia, Op. 51
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Martucci: Novella, Op. 50
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Martucci: Six Pieces, Op. 44
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Martucci: Two Nocturnes, Op. 70