A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Martucci, Giuseppe

by Alexis Chitty

MARTUCCI, Giuseppe, born Jan. 6, 1856, at Capua, was first taught music by his father, a military bandmaster, and later received instruction at the Conservatorio, Naples (1867–72), in pianoforte playing from Cesi; in harmony from Carlo Costa, in counterpoint and composition from Paolo Serrao and Lauro Rossi. He became a pianoforte teacher at Naples, but soon after played with great success at concerts in Rome and Milan. He visited London and Dublin in 1875, playing at Arditi's concert in St. George's Hall, June 14, and elsewhere. He visited Paris in May, 1878, and introduced there with great success a quintet for piano and strings which had gained the prize of the Societa del Quartette at Milan earlier in the year, besides other compositions of his own. Rubinstein, according to a contemporary,^[1] expressed himself in the highest terms of Martucci, especially as a composer. He was appointed a professor of the piano at the above Conservatorio in 1880, also director there of the Società del Quartetto, and conductor of the orchestral concerts instituted by the Prince of Ardore, introducing there for the first time in Naples the works of Beethoven, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Berlioz, Brahms, and Wagner, in addition to works of the old Italian school. He gave similar orchestral concerts with great success at the Turin Exhibition in 1884, was for a short time director of the Società del Quartetto, Bologna, and became director of the Liceo Musicale there in 1886, which post he still holds. His compositions include an oratorio, orchestral works, two concertos (one of which he has played at Naples, Rome, Bologna, and Milan, 1887), quintets for piano and strings, sonatas and smaller pieces for violin or cello with piano, trios for the same instruments, sonatas for organ, a lyric poem for voice and piano, and about 150 works for piano solo, inclusive of sonatas, fugues, capriccios, scherzos, tarantellas, barcaroles, airs with variations, 'Moto Perpetuo,' op. 63, etc.

[ A. C. ]

1. L'Art Musical. May 23, 1878.