MARIO BARBIERI
(1888-1968)

Neapolitan composer, and guitar lover

      Mario Barbieri (1888-1968) was born in Neaples. He was not a guitarist by training, but he studied composition in Neaples under the guidance of Camillo De Nardis and Giuseppe Martucci. There he studied also direction of orchestra.

      After his apprentiship, he taught for long time harmony, counterpoint and composition at the conservatory of Genoa. His love for the classical guitar lasted long time (he was helped, it seems, by the grace of the performer Eli Tagore, the grandchild of the Indian poet). His name of composer is remembered today mostly for his guitar works.

      Among his works the most known is La Serra ("Greenhouse" edited by F. Orsolino but firstly dedicated to Eli Tagore). It is a cycle of 7 Preludes, all gracefully composed, with Italian and in one case Latin titles of flowers (Myosotis alpestris, Viola del pensiero gigante, Ciclamino di Persia, Orchidea, Mimosa pudica sensitiva). In the score of the second prelude there are some adds for "seven-string guitar", but I think that they were added by the publisher.

      The unfortunately quite unknown Concerto nello stile antico, Fantasia da concerto (for guitar and String Orchestra) and the recently re-discovered Suite pittoresca (for guitar and 13 instruments) of 1956 (all these works are still unpublished).

Guitar Works

Concerto nello stile antico, inedited
La serra (7 Preludi) (Myosotis alpestris, Viola del pensiero gigante, Ciclamino di Persia, Orchidea, Mimosa pudica sensitiva), Bčrben
Fantasia da concerto (guit,string orch), inedited
Suite pittoresca (guit, 13 instruments) (1956), inedited (in future by Bčrben)
Tre miniature napoletane (guit,orch), inedited

 

Bibliography
  1. Federico Orsolino, I nostri compositori: M. Barbieri, in "L'Arte Chitarristica" no.57-58 (1956), p. 12.
  2. Angelo Gilardino, La musica italiana per chitarra nel secolo XX, il "Fronimo" no.7 (1974), p. 21-25.
  3. Angelo Gilardino, La musica per chitarra nel secolo XX: Italia, il "Fronimo" no.31, 1974 p. 25-29.
  4. Angelo Gilardino, I chitarristi-compositori, il "Fronimo" no.46, 1974 p. 28-33.
  5. Angelo Gilardino, Bella musica sulla tavolozza, in "Suonare News" no.16, 1997 p. 35.
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