Marinino, Franco

Marinino, Franco, Italian conductor, pianist, composer, novelist, and playwright; b. Palermo, April 25, 1924. He was a student of Silvestri (piano) and Mortari (composition) at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome. At 16, he made his debut as a pianist. After the end of World War II, he toured as a pianist in Europe and the U.S. He also took up conducting and appeared as a guest conductor throughout Europe, North and South America, and the Far East. In 1968 he founded the Incontri Musicale Romani. From 1969 to 1971 he served as artistic director of the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, where he subsequently was its artistic advisor. He was principal conductor and artistic advisor of the National Arts Centre Orch. in Ottawa from 1982 to 1986, and then was its principal guest conductor from 1986 to 1989. In 1990–91 he was president of the Accademia Filarmonica of Bologna. The Italian Republic gave him its gold medal in 1968 and honored him as Commendatore ordine al merito in 1993. In his compositions, Marinino has generally followed traditional modes of expression with occasional excursions into modernistic practices. In addition to his prolific compositions, he has also written novels, plays, essays, and articles.

Works

dramatic: Mario e il Mago, azione coreografia (1952; Milan, Feb. 25, 1956); Vivi, lyric drama (1955; Naples, March 28,1957); La speranza, melodrama (1956; Trieste, Feb. 14, 1970); La stirpe di Davide, tragedy (1958; Rome, April 19, 1962); La notti della paura, melodrama (1960; RAI, Rome, May 24,1963); II diavolo in giardino, comedy (1962; Palermo, Feb. 28, 1963); Luisella, drama (1963; Palermo, Feb. 28, 1969); II quadro delle meraviglie, intermezzo- ballet (Rome, April 24,1963); II ritratto di Dorian Gray, drama (1973; Catania, Jan. 12,1982); Roma Pagana, ballet (1978); II Principe Felice, theater piece (1981; Milan, July 7, 1987); Soltanto il rogo, drama (1986; Agrigento, Oct. 21,1987); Le notte Bianche, Liederopera (1987; Rome, April 14, 1989); Le teste Scambiate, legend (1988); Anno domini 3000, opera buffa (1993); film scores. orch.:Concertino lirico for Cello, Strings, and Piano (1938); Tre tempi (1951); 2 piano concertos (1954,1974); 12 syms.: No. 1, Sinfonia Americana (1954; Florence, Nov. 11,1956), No. 2 (1972), No. 3 (1978), No. 4, Leningrad (1981), No. 5, Rideau Lake (1984; Ottawa, Feb. 12,1986), No. 6 (1986), No. 7 (1989), No. 8, Degli Oceani (1990), No. 9 (Rome, June 27, 1991), No. 10, Da Colomba a Broadway, for Baritone, Trombone, Chorus, and Orch. (1991), No. 11 for Baritone and Orch. (1993; Sanremo, Oct. 1994), and No. 12, Panormus (1994); Demoniaca Ouverture (1963); Mottetti strumentali (1964; Rome, June 1,1965); Music for Angels for Piano and Strings (1964; RAI, Naples, Feb. 14, 1966); Concerto for 3 Violins and Orch. (1965); Suite galante for Flute, Trombone Obbligato, and Small Orch. (1966); Otto commenti (1966); Laocoonte (1966; RAI, Turin, April 4, 1969); Capriccio di capricci (1967); Concerto for Piano, 3 Violins, and Orch. (1969); Notturno Napoletano (1969); Concerto grosso (1970); 2 violin concertos (1970, 1993); 4 cello concertos (1974–90); Enigma for Strings (1975; Ottawa, April 1993); Cinque romanze for Viola and Orch. (1975); Sons enchantes for Flute, Alpine Horn, and Strings (1976); Molto vibrato for Violin and Orch. (1978); Settecento (1979); Olympic Concert for 6 Violins, 2 Pianos, and Orch. (1979); Nirvana (1980); Concerto for 6 Violins, 2 Pianos, and Orch. (1980); Tropical Dances for Cello Ensemble (1984; RAI, Rome, Nov. 3, 1986; also for Orch., Rome, April 10, 1987); Piccolo concerto grosso for Flute, Oboe, and Strings (Rome, Nov. 6,1985); Introduzione e aba for Organ and Orch. (1987); Atmosfere delle notti Bianche di Pietroburgo for Trombone and Orch. (1987); Inquietudini for Clarinet and Orch. (1987); 6 Romanze senza parole for Piano, Violin, Viola, Cello, and Orch. (1988); Concerto for Horn and Strings (1990); Concerto for Trombone and Strings (1990); Suite Italiana for Clarinet and Strings (1991); Evanescenze for Harp and Orch. (1992; Palermo, Dec. 1994; also for Harp and Piano); La grotta della maga Circe, overture (1995). chamber:Melodica e contrappunti for Flute and Bamboo Pipes (1959); Variazione capricciose for 3 Violins (1966); Piccolo sonata for Viola and Piano (1966); Melange capriccioso for 3 Violins (1966); Sonata breve for Guitar (1967); Cinque duetti for 2 Violins (1967); Improvvisazione for Violin, Horn, and Piano (1969); 3 cello sonatas (1970, 1971, 1986); Sonata for Solo Viola (1970); Ballata dramática for Violin, Viola, Cello, and Piano (1970); String Trio (1974); Quattro cantabili, un intermezzo e un rondo for Violin and Piano (1976); 3 Pieces for Viola (1983); Suoni astrali for 8 Violas (1985); 7 Pieces for Violin (1985); Suite for Wind Quintet (1986); 2 string quartets (1989,1994); Love for Clarinet and Piano (1990); Quindici pezzi per VAdelchi for Cello (1992); Trio for Violin, Cello, and Piano (1992); Violin Sonata (1994); Quintet for Clarinet and Strings (1995). p i a n o : 5 sonatas (1950, 1971, 1975, 1979, 1980); many other pieces. other: Choral works; song cycles; solo songs; transcriptions; cadenzas for concertos by Haydn and Mozart.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire