Short bio Amilcare Ponchielli
Full biography Amilcare Ponchielli
Amilcare Ponchielli was an Italian composer of the Romantic era who was born in 1834 in the Lombard region of Italy. He is widely known for his opera works, particularly for his masterpiece "La Gioconda."
As a child, Ponchielli showed a great interest in music and began studying at a young age. He was a student of renowned composers such as Antonio Bazzini and Stefano Ronchetti-Monteviti. By the age of 18, he became the conductor of the town band of Bergamo, his hometown.
In 1856, Ponchielli moved to Milan, where he pursued his studies at the Milan Conservatory under the guidance of famous Italian composers such as Amilcare Zanella and Stefano Ronchetti-Monteviti. After several years of hard work, he finally made a name for himself as a composer.
In 1873, Ponchielli completed his most popular work, "La Gioconda," which was a grand opera that premiered at La Scala in Milan. The opera was an instant success and quickly gained worldwide acclaim. Today, "La Gioconda" remains one of the most popular opera works in the world.
Ponchielli continued to compose music throughout his life, producing several other successful works such as "I Lituani," "La Stella del Nord," and "Il Figliuol Prodigo." He also served as the director of the Conservatory of Milan from 1881 to 1882.
Sadly, Ponchielli died at the age of 51 in 1886 while he was still working on his last opera "I Mori di Valenza." Today, Amilcare Ponchielli is remembered as one of the greatest Italian opera composers of the Romantic era, leaving behind an inspiring legacy for future generations.
Compositions featuring Amilcare Ponchielli
| # | Name | Duration | Genre | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eterna memoria, for voice & piano | 4:44 min | Vocal Music | 1906 |
| 2 | Marion Delorme, opera | Opera | 1885 | |
| 3 | Il Figliuol Prodigo, opera | 140:16 min | Opera | 1880 |
| 4 | Improvviso, for piano in A major | 1:14 min | Keyboard | 1880 |
| 5 | La Gioconda, opera, Op. 9 | 154:33 min | Opera | 1876 |
| 6 | I Lituani, opera | 133:45 min | Opera | 1874 |
| 7 | Concerto for euphonium & orchestra in E flat major, Op. 155 | 13:32 min | Concerto | 1872 |
| 8 | Marcia funebre, for piano in G minor, Op. 112 (for the funeral of Francesco Lucca) | 16:23 min | Keyboard | 1872 |
| 9 | Fantasy on Motifs from the Opera La Traviata, for trumpet & orchestra, Op. 146 | 11:21 min | Orchestral | 1869 |
| 10 | Tanto gentile e tanto onesta pare, for voice & piano | 3:10 min | Vocal Music | 1865 |
| 11 | I Promessi Sposi, opera | 127:13 min | Opera | 1856 |
| 12 | Marcia Principe Umberto, march for band, Op. 124 | 4:48 min | Band Music | - |
| 13 | Notturno in la bemolle, for piano | 3:38 min | Keyboard | - |
| 14 | Notturno primo affetto, for piano | 3:57 min | Keyboard | - |
| 15 | Paul and Virginia for violin, clarinet & piano | 9:02 min | Chamber Music | - |
| 16 | Lina, opera | Opera | - | |
| 17 | Preludio | 2:32 min | Keyboard | - |
| 18 | Ricordanze della Traviata, for flute, oboe, clarinet & piano | 15:36 min | Chamber Music | - |
| 19 | Prélude "à Gaetano Donizetti" | 2:16 min | Keyboard | - |
| 20 | Quartet for flute, oboe, clarinet, piccolo clarinet & piano (or orchestra) | 14:29 min | Chamber Music | - |
| 21 | L'eco, for voice & piano | 3:21 min | Vocal Music | - |
| 22 | Romances for voice & piano | Vocal Music | - | |
| 23 | Saltellina-polka, for piano in E flat major, Op. 98 | 3:41 min | Keyboard | - |
| 24 | Scena Campestre for orchestra | 13:30 min | Orchestral | - |
| 25 | Simple pensée Op 81 | 3:14 min | Keyboard | - |
| 26 | Sinfonia for band in B minor, Op. 153 | 9:24 min | Band Music | - |
| 27 | Sinfonia for Orchestra, Op 113 | 11:04 min | Symphony | - |
| 28 | Symphony No. 1 | 11:04 min | Symphony | - |
| 29 | Symphony No. 2 | 7:36 min | Symphony | - |
| 30 | T'amerò sempre!, for piano | 5:27 min | Keyboard | - |
| 31 | Trombone Concerto, Op. 123 | 15:04 min | Concerto | - |
| 32 | Tuitti ebbri (Galop sfrenato), for piano | 2:27 min | Keyboard | - |
| 33 | Fantasia for cornetto ("Sulla Traviata"), Op. 140 | 12:54 min | Band Music | - |
| 34 | Amicizia, mazurka for piano in B flat major, Op. 95 | 4:24 min | Keyboard | - |
| 35 | Capriccio for oboe & orchestra | 11:22 min | Concerto | - |
| 36 | Capriccio for oboe & piano | 11:06 min | Chamber Music | - |
| 37 | Concertino for piccolo Op 75 | 7:06 min | Concerto | - |
| 38 | Concerto for flugelhorn & orchestra | 13:19 min | Concerto | - |
| 39 | Concerto for trumpet in F | 14:52 min | Concerto | - |
| 40 | Dance of the Hours, ballet (from La Gioconda) | 8:01 min | Orchestral | - |
| 41 | Elegia for orchestra | 11:50 min | Orchestral | - |
| 42 | Elegia Funebre for piano (or band) | 7:47 min | Band Music | - |
| 43 | Elegia, for piano in A major, Op. 92 | 3:40 min | Keyboard | - |
| 44 | Elegia, for piano in E flat minor/major, Add 9 | 4:42 min | Keyboard | - |
| 45 | La staffetta di Gambolò, polka for piano in D major, Op. 88 | 4:16 min | Keyboard | - |
| 46 | Gavotte Poudrée for piano | 3:48 min | Keyboard | - |
| 47 | Gran Capriccio in F minor, for oboe & orchestra, Op. 80 | 11:28 min | Chamber Music | - |
| 48 | Horn Concerto, Op. 198 | 10:28 min | Concerto | - |
| 49 | I Mori di Valenza, opera | 120:28 min | Opera | - |
| 50 | Il Convegno, divertimento for 2 clarinets & piano (or band) | 10:37 min | Chamber Music | - |
| 51 | Il Trovatore, aria for voice & piano | 5:08 min | Vocal Music | - |
| 52 | L'abbandono, for voice & piano | 3:48 min | Vocal Music | - |
| 53 | Adele, waltz for band, Op. 161 | 9:43 min | Band Music | - |
| 54 | L'Innamorata, mazurka for guitar quartet | 4:51 min | Chamber Music | - |
| 55 | La gavotta delle Bambole, for piano | 2:38 min | Keyboard | - |
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