Music of Abruzzo

Last updated
Music of Italy
General topics
Genres
Media and performance
Music awards
Music charts
Music festivals
Music media Music media in Italy
Nationalistic and patriotic songs
National anthem "Il Canto degli Italiani"
Regional music

The Music of Abruzzo is a style of music in Abruzzo, Italy. Abruzzo is sparsely populated and is very mountainous, but the area has a musical history involving opera, sacred music, and even the town band. The great composer of delicate, 19th-century airs, Francesco Paolo Tosti, dedicated a series of compositions to the area, the romanze abruzzesi.

Abruzzo Region of Italy

Abruzzo is a region of Southern Italy with an area of 10,763 square km and a population of 1.2 million. It is divided into four provinces: L'Aquila, Teramo, Pescara, and Chieti. Its western border lies 80 km (50 mi) east of Rome. Abruzzo borders the region of Marche to the north, Lazio to the west and south-west, Molise to the south-east, and the Adriatic Sea to the east. Geographically, Abruzzo is divided into a mountainous area in the west, which includes the Gran Sasso d'Italia, and a coastal area in the east with beaches on the Adriatic Sea.

Italy republic in Southern Europe

Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe. Located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, Italy shares open land borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia and the enclaved microstates San Marino and Vatican City, as well as a maritime border with Croatia. Italy covers an area of 301,340 km2 (116,350 sq mi) and has a largely temperate seasonal and Mediterranean climate. With around 61 million inhabitants, it is the fourth-most populous EU member state and the most populous country in Southern Europe.

Opera artform combining sung text and musical score in a theatrical setting

Opera is a form of theatre in which music has a leading role and the parts are taken by singers, but is distinct from musical theater. Such a "work" is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librettist and incorporates a number of the performing arts, such as acting, scenery, costume, and sometimes dance or ballet. The performance is typically given in an opera house, accompanied by an orchestra or smaller musical ensemble, which since the early 19th century has been led by a conductor.

Contents

Provinces

The region has four provinces, each named for the largest city in—and capital of—the province. They are L'Aquila, Chieti, Pescara, and Teramo. By province, they offer:

LAquila Comune in Abruzzo, Italy

L'Aquila is a city and comune in Southern Italy, both the capital city of the Abruzzo region and of the Province of L'Aquila. As of 2013, it has a population of 70,967 inhabitants. Laid out within medieval walls on a hill in the wide valley of the Aterno river, it is surrounded by the Apennine Mountains, with the Gran Sasso d'Italia to the north-east.

Chieti Comune in Abruzzo, Italy

Chieti is a city, and municipality, in Southern Italy, 200 kilometres east by northeast of Rome. It is the capital of the province of Chieti in the Abruzzo region.

Pescara Comune in Abruzzo, Italy

Pescara is the capital city of the Province of Pescara, in the Abruzzo region of Italy. It is the most populated city in Abruzzo, with 119,217 (2018) residents. Located on the Adriatic coast at the mouth of the Aterno-Pescara River, the present-day municipality was formed in 1927 joining the municipalities of the old Pescara fortress, the part of the city to the south of the river, and Castellamare Adriatico, the part of the city to the north of the river. The surrounding area was formed into the province of Pescara.

The presence of Flemish composers and private patrons of the arts in L'Aquila accounts for the fact that as long ago as the early 17th century there was an opera theater in Chieti the Teatro S. Salvatore. The area is currently very active musically and hosts the Society for Baratelli Concerts, the Alfredo Casella music conservatory, the Aquila Soloists Orchestra, and the Abruzzo Symphonic Association. Both the Teatro Comunale  (it ) and the conservatory serve as venues for musical performances.

The Flemish or Flemings are a Germanic ethnic group native to Flanders, in modern Belgium, who speak Flemish, but mostly use the Dutch written language. They are one of two principal ethnic groups in Belgium, the other being the French-speaking Walloons. Flemish people make up the majority of the Belgian population. Historically, all inhabitants of the medieval County of Flanders were referred to as "Flemings", irrespective of the language spoken. The contemporary region of Flanders comprises a part of this historical county, as well as parts of the medieval duchy of Brabant and the medieval county of Loon.

Composer person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition

A composer is a musician who is an author of music in any form, including vocal music, instrumental music, electronic music, and music which combines multiple forms. A composer may create music in any music genre, including, for example, classical music, musical theatre, blues, folk music, jazz, and popular music. Composers often express their works in a written musical score using musical notation.

Alfredo Casella Italian composer, pianist and conductor

Alfredo Casella was an Italian composer, pianist and conductor.

The Marrucini Theater, in Chieti, was built in 1818 and originally named for king Ferdinand of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies at the time. It is the oldest opera venue in Abruzzo and retains much of its original configuration. Other noteworthy theaters in the province are the Teatro Fedele Fenaroli and the Diocleziano auditorium, both in the town of Lanciano. The town of Ortona hosts the Center for Musicological Studies, the Abruzzo music library, and the Tosti Archives (named for the composer, born in Ortona).

Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies King variously of Naples, Sicily, and the Two Sicilies

Ferdinand I, was the King of the Two Sicilies from 1816, after his restoration following victory in the Napoleonic Wars. Before that he had been, since 1759, Ferdinand IV of the Kingdom of Naples and Ferdinand III of the Kingdom of Sicily. He was also King of Gozo. He was deposed twice from the throne of Naples: once by the revolutionary Parthenopean Republic for six months in 1799 and again by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1805.

Kingdom of the Two Sicilies Italian state (pre-unification)

The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was the largest of the states of Italy before the Italian unification. It was formed as a union of the Kingdom of Sicily and the Kingdom of Naples, which collectively had long been called the "Two Sicilies".

Lanciano Comune in Abruzzo, Italy

Lanciano is a town and comune in the province of Chieti, part of the Abruzzo region of central Italy. It has 36,304 inhabitants as of 2011. The town is known for the first recorded Catholic Eucharistic Miracle.

Pescara is the site of the Luisa D'Annunzio music conservatory (named for the mother of author Gabriele D'Annunzio, born in Abruzzo) and also the site of the annual Pescara Jazz Festival, one of the most noteworthy such festivals in Italy. The D'Annuzio Theater, built in 1963, is an important venue, as is the auditorium of the music conservatory. An ex-Bourbon barracks houses the Museum and Library of the Peoples of Abruzzo, an important source for ethnomusicological research.

Gabriele DAnnunzio Italian writer, poet, journalist and playwright

General Gabriele D'Annunzio, Prince of Montenevoso, Duke of Gallese, sometimes spelled d'Annunzio, was an Italian poet, journalist, playwright and soldier during World War I. He occupied a prominent place in Italian literature from 1889 to 1910 and later political life from 1914 to 1924. He was often referred to under the epithets Il Vate or Il Profeta. Some of his ideas and aesthetics influenced Italian fascism and the style of Benito Mussolini and, thereby, Adolf Hitler; he has been described as "the father of Fascism".

House of Bourbon European royal house of French origin

The Capetian House of Bourbon is a European royal house of French origin, a branch of the Capetian dynasty. Bourbon kings first ruled France and Navarre in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Spanish Bourbon dynasty held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma. Spain and Luxembourg currently have monarchs of the House of Bourbon.

Ethnomusicology study of music emphasizing cultural, social, material, cognitive, biological, and other dimensions

Ethnomusicology is the study of music from the cultural and social aspects of the people who make it. It encompasses distinct theoretical and methodical approaches that emphasize cultural, social, material, cognitive, biological, and other dimensions or contexts of musical behavior, instead of only its isolated sound component.

The cathedral of Teramo, named for San Bernardo was historically the site of noteworthy performances of sacred music as well as music in private theaters on the premises of a number of aristocratic villas in the area. Currently, the town has the Teatro Comunale, built in the early 20th century.

Teramo Comune in Abruzzo, Italy

Teramo is a city and comune in the Italian region of Abruzzo, the capital of the province of Teramo.

Saint Berardo is an Italian saint, patron saint of the city and diocese of Teramo.

Related Research Articles

Province of LAquila Province of Italy

The Province of L'Aquila is the largest, most mountainous and least densely populated province of the Abruzzo region of Southern Italy. It comprises about half the landmass of Abruzzo and occupies the western part of the region. It has borders with the provinces of Teramo to the north, Pescara and Chieti to the east, Isernia to the south and Frosinone, Rome and Rieti to the west. Its capital is the city of L'Aquila.

Province of Chieti Province of Italy

The province of Chieti is a province in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Its provincial capital is the city Chieti, which has a population of 50,770 inhabitants. The province has a total population of 387,649 inhabitants as of 2017 and spans an area of 2,599.58 square kilometres (1,003.70 sq mi). It is divided into 104 comuni (comune) and the provincial president is Mario Pupillo.

Province of Pescara Province of Italy

The province of Pescara is a province in the Abruzzo region of Italy. It's provincial capital is the city Pescara, which has a population of 119,483 inhabitants. As of 2017, it has a total population of 319,936 inhabitants over an area of 1,230.33 square kilometres (475.03 sq mi). The provincial president is Antonio Di Marco and the province contains 46 comuni.

Ortona Comune in Abruzzo, Italy

Ortona is a coastal town and municipality of the Province of Chieti in the Italian region of Abruzzo, with some 23,000 inhabitants.

The Music of Sicily refers to music created by peoples from the isle of Sicily. It was shaped by the island's history, from the island's great presence as part of Magna Grecia 2,500 years ago, through various historical incarnations as a part of the Roman Empire, then an integral part of the Kingdom of Sicily, and, finally, as an autonomous region of the modern nation state of Italy.

The Piedmont has played an important role in the development of music, in general, in Italy, due to the presence of medieval monasteries in that area, institutions that were great preservers of manuscripts in the Middle Ages as well as being geographically well located to connect to musical influences from northern Europe. As well, the political dominance of the Royal House of Savoy leading up to its eventual installation as the ruling dynasty of united Italy was important.

The music of Calabria is part of the Italian musical tradition. Like other regions in southern Italy, Calabria for many centuries was an integral part of the kingdom of Naples, and, as with other regions, the musical life tended to be overshadowed by the important activities in the capital city to the north—the conservatories there, the composers, the vast amount of music performed in churches. Yet, modern Calabria has developed a vibrant musical life based on its history and, as well, a dedication to building new musical and theatrical facilities, many of which are of the type termed polivalenti in Italian—that is, multi-purpose.

(Latium is a region in central Italy that includes the city and province of Rome. This article is about the music of the region of Latium excluding Rome, itself. For that, see Music of Rome.) Lazio is surrounded by music.

There are 70 community bands, 110 community choirs, and about 20 secondary music schools. The region is famous for its music festivals, including the Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto and the Umbria Jazz Festival.

The music of the Marche, a region of Italy, has been shaped by the fact that the entire region is a collection of small centers of population. There is no cultural giant to be found—no Florence or Naples—that might have shaped the cultural and musical expressions of the entire region. There is not a town in the region with more than 100,000 population, but there are 246 total towns, and they support no fewer than 113 theaters, a cultural building boom that started in the late 18th century. Historically, the entire area was home to a great number of monasteries and abbeys in the Middle Ages, institutions that had choirs and were active in the musical lives of the inhabitants. That period is still obscure and is currently the subject of musicological research. In the modern age, the region has a vibrant musical life.

Music of Emilia-Romagna

The Music of Emilia-Romagna has the reputation of being one of the richest in Europe; there are six music conservatories alone in the region, and the sheer number of other musical venues and activities is astounding. The region, as the name implies, combines the traditions of two different, contiguous areas—Emilia and Romagna—and it is perhaps this blend that contributes to the wealth of musical culture.

(This article is about the Music of Tuscany outside of the city and province of Florence. For that, see Music of Florence.)

Music of Lombardy

Besides Milan, the region of Lombardy has 10 other provinces, each named for the largest city and capital of the respective province: Bergamo, Brescia, Como, Cremona, Lecco, Lodi, Mantova, Pavia, Sondrio, and Varese. Musically, they offer:

DAnnunzio University of Chieti–Pescara university located in Chieti and Pescara, Italy

D'Annunzio University is a public research university located in Chieti and Pescara, neighbouring cities in the region of Abruzzo, Italy. Established in 1960 as a higher education institute and named after writer and poet Gabriele D'Annunzio, it was officially recognised as an independent university in 1965 by Minister Luigi Gui.

Francavilla al Mare Comune in Abruzzo, Italy

Francavilla al Mare is a comune and town in the province of Chieti, in the Abruzzo region of Italy.

San Vito Chietino Comune in Abruzzo, Italy

San Vito Chietino is a town and comune in the province of Chieti in the Abruzzo region of central Italy.

Tourism in Abruzzo Place

Tourism in Abruzzo has become one of the most prosperous sectors in the economy of Abruzzo, and in recent years has seen a remarkable growth attracting numerous tourists from Italy and Europe. According to statistics from the Italian institute of statistics (ISTAT), in 2007 arrivals totaled 1,371,155 Italians and 189,651 foreigners. A total of 7,374,646 arrivals were tourists, a figure that puts the region seventeenth among the Italian regions for numbers of tourists per year. According to market analysis and sector studies on tourism in the Abruzzo National Society TurisMonitor 2012, after an increase that was estimated at between 4 and 5% of international tourist arrivals in the Abruzzo region in 2012 was estimated to increase that international arrivals will be around 3/4% by the end of 2012 with staff working in tourism will increase settling at about 25,000 people. Always position first-arrivals from Germany. A moderate support to tourism is also given to the Abruzzo Airport with many low cost and charter flights connecting the entire region with the rest of Europe. Abruzzo tourism can basically be divided into three different types: mountain tourism hiking natural which includes numerous ski resorts, nature reserves and protected areas, beach tourism and coastal with the number of resort, hotel, camping and beaches, and finally the art-historical tourism religious and cultural concentrated mostly in mountain villages and historic towns such as l'Aquila, Vasto, Chieti, Teramo, Sulmona and many others. The region to encourage and promote tourism in 2012 has also opened on different web sites and interactive applications for smartphones and tablets to promote tourism; the regional tourist office is Abruzzo Tourism Promotion, the others are: Twitter "YourAbruzzo, Abruzzo events, Abruzzo Rai Local, SkiAbruzzo and others (Pinterest, Foursquare Studivz, Skyrock, and Hyves destined mainly for the European market, and in particular to the countries of Great Britain, France, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden and Norway.

Enrico Santangelo is an Italian author and art historian.

References