Why couldn’t I have been blessed with a name like Ildebrando Pizzetti?
Pizzetti was one of the composers of the “generazione dell’Ottanta” (“Generation of the ‘80s”), contemporaries of Ottorino Respighi, all born around 1880. These artists of the post-Puccini generation made their reputations largely in the concert halls as opposed to the opera houses – quite the change of pace for Italy.
Pizzetti was best-known as an associate of Gabriele d’Annunzio, providing incidental music for a number of d’Annunzio’s plays and setting “Fedra” as an opera. He also wrote the music for “Cabiria” (1914), the film that kicked off the “Masciste” craze. You know, all those badly dubbed imports that feature Hercules, Goliath, Samson, etc. More often than not, in Italian, the protagonist is named Masciste. You can thank D’Annunzio for the creation of the modern prototype.
Pizzetti lived from 1880 to 1968. Today is his birthday. Here is some of his music for D’Annunzio’s hyper-sensual lyric drama, “La Pisanella.” (The complete title is “La Pisanella où la Mort parfumée.”) Ida Rubinstein danced the title role of the courtesan-saint who seduces and destroys the royal family of the medieval kingdom of Cyprus. At the play’s conclusion, she is smothered by a downpour of rose petals!
Here’s the orchestral suite:
Happy birthday, Ildebrando Pizzetti!
Pizzetti (right) with Arturo Toscanini