Beniamino Cesi facts for kids

Beniamino Cesi

Beniamino Cesi (born November 6, 1845 – died January 19, 1907) was a famous Italian concert pianist. He was also a respected piano teacher. Many important pianists from the early 1900s learned from him. His teaching greatly influenced music, especially in Naples.

Early Life and Training

Beniamino Cesi was born in Naples. He started learning piano from his father. Later, he studied with a teacher named Luigi Albanesi. A very famous pianist, Sigismund Thalberg, heard Cesi play. Thalberg was so impressed that he took Cesi on as one of his favorite students.

Cesi began his career as a concert performer in 1862. He quickly became very well-known in Italy. When he was just 20 years old, he won a competition. This allowed him to become a piano professor. He taught at the Royal Conservatorio of San Pietro a Majella in Naples.

Soon, Cesi was seen as a top performer all over Europe. He played in many big cities, including London in 1886. People thought he was excellent at playing music by J. S. Bach, Beethoven, Schumann, and Chopin. He also loved and promoted older Italian music.

Teaching and Later Career

In 1885, Anton Rubinstein became the director of the Petrograd Conservatory. He invited Cesi to lead the piano schools there. Cesi accepted this important job. He stayed in Russia until 1891.

He had to return to Italy because he became ill. This illness affected his body, but not his mind. He could still use his right hand. In 1894, he started teaching at the Conservatory in Palermo. After a few years, he was able to return to the Naples Conservatory. There, he taught a chamber-music class until he passed away in 1907.

Cesi also wrote important books about playing the piano. His main work was called Method for Pianoforte. He also revised many piano music pieces.

Famous Students

Beniamino Cesi taught many talented students. Some of his most famous pupils included:

• Giuseppe Martucci
• Alessandro Longo
• Michele Esposito
• Samuel Maykapar
• Emanuel de Beaupuis
• Edgardo del Valle De Paz
• Leopoldo Mugnone

Musical Family

Beniamino Cesi came from a very musical family. His two sons continued his artistic legacy.

• Napoleone Cesi (born 1867) was a pianist and composer. He published important piano pieces. He also won several awards for his music.
• Sigismondo Cesi (born 1869) was also a pianist and composer. In 1908, he helped start a private music school in Naples. It was called the Liceo Musicale, and he founded it with Ernesto Marciano. Sigismondo gave concerts across Italy and became a well-known teacher.

Napoleone's daughter, Cecilia Cesi (born 1903 in Palermo), also became a pianist. She made her first public performance at age 6. At age 8, she gave a successful concert in Naples. She also performed well in Rome, Milan, and other Italian cities.

Writings

Beniamino Cesi's main educational work was:

• Metodo per pianoforte (Method for Pianoforte), in three parts. This book covered exercises, polyphonic works (like fugues), and pieces (like sonatas).

His son, Sigismondo Cesi, also wrote music books:

• Appunti di Storia e di Letteratura del pianoforte (Notes on the History and Literature of the Piano).
• Prontuario di Musica (Music Handbook), written with E. Marciano.

See also

In Spanish: Beniamino Cesi para niños