Giorgio Battistelli

Giorgio Battistelli (born April 25, 1953) is an Italian composer of contemporary classical music. A native of Albano Laziale (province of Rome), he studied at the conservatory in L'Aquila and is a former student of Stockhausen and Kagel, Battistelli has written nearly 20 operas on subjects ranging from Diderot and d'Alembert's Encyclopaedia to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. His latest project, based on Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, is due to open at La Scala in 2015.[1]

In 1994 he founded with some friends the improvisation group entitled Edgard Varèse and an instrumental ensemble named Beat '72. From 1985 to 1986 he was host of the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst in Berlin. In 1990 he won the SIAE for an opera and in 1993 the Cervo Prize for contemporary music.

He was also artistic director of the Cantiere Internazionale d'Arte di Montepulciano, the Orchestra Regionale Toscana. He is currently director of the music section of the Venice Biennale.

He is the current leader of the Jerwood Opera Writing Programme hosted by Aldeburgh Music.[1]

His music is published by Ricordi.

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 1981-05May 1981; Teatro Olimpico, Rome
Linzer Stahloper 1982-09Sep 1982; Hauptplatz, Linz
Jules Verne Fantasia da camera, 60' 1987-09Sep 1987; Strasbourg
Aphrodite Monodramma di costumi antichi, 50' after the novel Aphrodite: mœurs antiques by Pierre Louÿs 1988-07Jul 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 1989-09Sep 1989; Festival Musica, Strasbourg
Keplers Traum Kammeroper, 60' the composer, loosely after Kepler 1990-09Sep 1990; Brucknerhaus, Linz
Teorema Parabola in musica in 2 atti (16 scene), 70' the composer, loosely after the film by Pier Paolo Pasolini 1992-03Mar 1992; Teatro Comunale, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino
Frau Frankenstein Monodramma del Prometeo moderno, 35' the composer, after Mary Shelley 1993-03Mar 1993; Berliner Festspiele
Prova d’Orchestra Teatro di musica 1995-11Nov 1995; Strasbourg
CenciThe Cenci Music theatre the composer and Nick Ward, after the setting by Antonin Artaud of the verse drama by Shelley 1997-07Jul 1997; Almeida Opera Festival, London
EntdeckungDie Entdeckung der Langsamkeit Musiktheater in 5 scenes, 70' Michael Klügl, after the novel by Sten Nadolny 1997-10Oct 1997; Theater Bremen
Impressions d'Afrique Music theatre Lavaudant and Loayza, after texts by Roussel, Blake, Dickens, Morgenstern, Rabelais, Saba, Tasso 2000-05May 2000; Teatro Goldoni/ Maggio Musicale Fiorentino
Auf den Marmorklippen Musikalische visionen, 100' Giorgio van Straten and the composer, after the novel by Ernst Jünger 2002-03Mar 2002; Nationaltheater Mannheim
EmbalmerThe Embalmer Monodramma giocoso da camera, 70' Renzo Rosso 2002-07Jul 2002; Almeida Opera Festival, London
HerbstDer Herbst des Patriarchen Opera in 6 scenes, 110' Gotthart Kuppel, after El otoño del patriarca by Gabriel García Márquez 2004-06Jun 2004; Theater Bremen
Richard III Dramma musicale in 2 acts, 150' Ian Burton, after the play by Shakespeare 2005-01Jan 2005;[2] 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 2007-11Nov 2007; Teatro Valli, Reggio Emilia
FashionThe Fashion Opera Mondana in 12 scenes, 90' Bob Goody 2008-01Jan 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 2008-09Sep 2008; Opéra national de Lorraine, Nancy

References