Raffaello de Banfield

Full biography Raffaello de Banfield

Raffaello de Banfield was an Italian composer who was born on July 5, 1907, in Trieste, Austria-Hungary. He was a child prodigy and started studying music at a very young age. He studied piano, violin, and composition at the conservatories in Trieste and Venice. In 1925, he became the youngest member of the Chamber Orchestra of Trieste.

In 1929, Banfield moved to Vienna, where he studied with Richard Stöhr and Egon Wellesz. He also had contacts with Alban Berg, Anton Webern, and Arnold Schoenberg, who were leading composers of the Second Viennese School. Banfield was influenced by Schoenberg's atonal style, and he later incorporated elements of this style into his own works.

Banfield composed in a variety of genres, including opera, chamber music, orchestral music, and vocal music. His music is characterized by its rich harmonies, innovative use of instrumental timbres, and complex rhythms. His opera, "Salomea," was premiered in 1931 and received critical acclaim. It was one of the first operas to use a jazz band in the pit orchestra.

Banfield's career was interrupted by World War II. During the war, he lived in Croatia, where he worked as a music teacher and composed music for film. After the war, he returned to Italy and settled in Milan. He continued to compose music and taught at the Milan Conservatory.

Raffaello de Banfield died on December 16, 1955, in Milan, Italy. Despite his short life, he left a significant mark on the music of his time. His music was widely performed in Austria, Italy, and Yugoslavia, and his compositions were praised for their originality and emotional depth. Today, he is remembered as one of the most innovative composers of the interwar period.