Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco facts for kids
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (born April 3, 1895 – died March 16, 1968) was a talented Italian composer, pianist, and writer. He became famous as one of the best guitar composers in the 1900s, writing almost 100 pieces for the instrument. In 1939, he moved to the United States. There, he became a film composer for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, creating music for about 200 Hollywood movies over 15 years. He also wrote concertos for famous musicians like Jascha Heifetz and Gregor Piatigorsky.
Contents
A Musician's Journey
Early Life and Learning Music
Mario was born in Florence, Italy. His family had a long history, living in Tuscany since 1492. Mario's mother, Noemi Senigaglia, first taught him to play the piano. He started composing his own music when he was only nine years old!
In 1914, he finished his piano studies. Then, he began studying how to compose music with a famous Italian composer named Ildebrando Pizzetti. Mario earned his composition diploma in 1918.
Becoming Known in Europe
Soon, another important composer, Alfredo Casella, noticed Mario's talent. Casella made sure Mario's music was played in concerts across Europe. This helped Mario become known as one of Italy's exciting new composers. His works were even featured at a big music festival in Salzburg, Austria, in 1922.
Inspired by Stories and Heritage
In 1926, Mario's first opera called La Mandragola was performed. It was based on a play by Niccolò Machiavelli. This was the start of many works inspired by great literature. He wrote music based on stories by famous writers like William Shakespeare, Virgil, and Miguel de Cervantes.
Mario's Jewish background was also a big inspiration for him. He often used themes from the Bible and Jewish traditions in his music. His Violin Concerto No. 2 (1931) showed his pride in his Jewish roots. He wrote it for Jascha Heifetz during a time when Jewish people faced unfair treatment in Europe.
Writing for the Guitar
In 1932, Mario met the Spanish guitarist Andrés Segovia in Venice. This meeting made Mario want to write music for the guitar. He started with Variations through the Ages (1932) and later wrote his Guitar Concerto No. 1 (1939).
Overall, he wrote almost 100 pieces for the guitar. This made him one of the most important guitar composers of the 20th century. Segovia loved Mario's music and called him a "true artist."
Moving to the United States
Before Italy passed laws that treated Jewish people unfairly in 1938, Mario's music was already being banned. These new laws convinced him he needed to leave Italy. He reached out to famous musicians Arturo Toscanini and Jascha Heifetz for help.
Heifetz, who was an American citizen, helped Mario get permission to move to the United States. Mario left Italy in 1939, just before World War II began. He settled in Larchmont, New York (state).
Music for Famous Musicians
Mario wrote his Cello Concerto in F major for Gregor Piatigorsky. It was first performed in New York in 1935 with Piatigorsky playing and Arturo Toscanini conducting. He also wrote other pieces for Piatigorsky, including a Toccata.
Hollywood Film Composer
Like many artists who left Europe during this time, Mario ended up in Hollywood. With help from Jascha Heifetz, he got a job at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer as a film composer. For the next 15 years, he wrote music for about 200 movies at different major film studios. For example, Rita Hayworth hired him to write music for her film The Loves of Carmen (1948).
A Teacher's Influence
Mario also taught many future film composers. Famous musicians like Henry Mancini, Nelson Riddle, Jerry Goldsmith, and John Williams were all his students. He thought that film music was a special American art form, much like opera was European.
Later Life and Legacy
In 1946, Mario became a U.S. citizen. However, he stayed very connected to Italy and visited often. In 1958, he won an award for his opera The Merchant of Venice, which was performed in 1961.
In 1962, he wrote Les Guitares bien tempérées (The Well-Tempered Guitars) for two guitars. This set of 24 pieces was inspired by Johann Sebastian Bach, a composer Mario greatly admired.
In the United States, Mario continued to write new operas and music based on American poetry, Jewish prayers, and the Bible. He passed away in Beverly Hills, California, in 1968 at age 72. He is buried in Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery.
The Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., has a special collection of Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco's original music papers. His family donated them in 2000.
Works and Recognition
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco wrote an autobiography called A life in music: a book of memories shortly before he died. It was published many years later:
- Una vita di musica: un libro di ricordi (in Italian), edited by James Westby, Fiesole: Cadmo, 2005.
In 2018, a film about his life called The Maestro was released. Actor Xander Berkeley played Mario in the movie. The film was well-received and won several awards, including the Audience Award at the Tallgrass Film Festival and the Youth Film Award at the Rhode Island International Film Festival. Xander Berkeley also won "Best Actor" awards for his role.
See also
In Spanish: Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco para niños
