Aladino Di Martino: Fiaba, Chamber Works for Strings and Piano

Description

The instrumental chamber works of Aladino Di Martino, a respected composer, educator, and orchestra conductor hailing from Molise (San Pietro Avellana, 1908 – 1989), are fascinating. He honed his musical skills at the Conservatory of Naples under the guidance of Francesco Cilea. This education positioned him at the tail end of the proud Neapolitan compositional tradition, set against the backdrop of avant-garde movements and the two World Wars. Di Martino’s works maintain hallmark features that mark his distinct identity, recognizable across time and various genres. Despite his stature, he, like many of his contemporaries, remained underappreciated for far too long, being sidelined or overlooked in 20th-century historiographical and performance repertoires.
Upon both analytical and casual listening to his compositions for strings and piano, selected for this recording project and stemming from a study of available handwritten and printed sources, one can discern multiple influences. These are seamlessly blended into his robust, traditional craftsmanship—marked by the lessons from his mentor, Gennaro Napoli. Di Martino’s scores reveal a keen interest in global musical trends, absorbing inspiration from the then-recent French legacy, such as Debussy, Ravel, and Chausson. Additionally, he drew from the rhythmic motifs of early Stravinsky, the stark accents reminiscent of Bartók, and the expansive melodies of Respighi, resonating with the broader European aesthetic pursued by the sophisticated Generation of the Eighties, and figures like Ildebrando Pizzetti. Di Martino held Pizzetti in high regard, evident from his 1930 orchestration of the second movement of the latter’s piano collection “Da un autunno già lontano”. This transcription dates from the time of Di Martino’s graduation, after studies taking place between 1923 and the schoolyear 1930-1. This score, along with others from a corpus only recently reassembled, is housed in the library of the “Umberto Giordano” Conservatory of Music in Foggia. Di Martino served as the institution’s head for twenty years, from 1938 to 1958, and taught Harmony, Counterpoint, Fugue, and Composition until 1959.
His compositions display a fervent inventiveness and genuine spontaneity rooted in Southern Italy. This is evident, for instance, in the juxtaposition between the subtitle “Quadretti abruzzesi” and the genre “symphonic impressions” for his Canto di terra d’oro, published in 1941. Di Martino held on to tonal traditions, sidestepping the fleeting musical trends of his time. Instead, he favored a more thoughtful progression, echoing the guidance Francesco Cilea gave to his students (including Di Martino) during the 1925-26 academic year for the opening of the Grand Hall (now Scarlatti) at the Neapolitan Conservatory. “We need to renovate our style while remaining within order, within the domain of reason and therefore of logic – thus said the composer of Adriana Lecouvreur, as cited in the Annual report -; we need to take inspiration from our great masters, who were not static, but sensibly progressive”.
As a composer, Di Martino developed a style characterized by clear and robust macro-structures. Within these, he skillfully fused tradition with innovation, simplicity with expertise, emphasizing generous thematic development in melody, rhythm, and harmonic nuances, often semi-tonal or pentatonic. His works also highlighted the technical virtuosity of instruments, utilizing a rich palette of colors and dynamics. Above all, he sought the inherent narrative potential in intervals and pacing, evident in chamber pieces such as the Trio in G major for violin, cello, and piano; the Sonata (Quasi Fantasia) for cello and piano; the Fiaba for cello and piano; and the Introduzione e Burlesca for violin and piano.

The listening journey begins with “Fiaba,” an Adagio for cello and piano published in Naples by the publishing house of Salvatore Simeoli, a bookstore that still exists and is conveniently located opposite the entrance of the “San Pietro a Majella” Conservatory, in 1948. This composition, from that year, is dedicated to Ugo Ajello, who at the time was the lead cellist of the Teatro San Carlo Orchestra. Though the piece is concise, spanning only 71 measures, it encapsulates diverse emotions and scenes. This variety is attributed to the continuous motivic movement (three primary ideas with respective developments) and metric alterations between binary and ternary time changes (from the initial 4/4 there follows a “senza rigore” section, to 2/4, then there is a reprise and alternation in just one measure between 4/4 and 12/8, then once more a 2/4, followed by a tight exchange between 5/4 and common time, then again a compound 6/8 and a 12/8. In this time signature is set the entire second half of the piece, leading to light in D major)- There are dotted rhythms and irregular groups rippling the melody in staccato recitative at the beginning, in solo and in B minor, presented by the string instrument, transforming into a intense elegy with a cadential climax. The dynamics also shift dramatically, from pianissimo to fortissimo (poco trattenendo, affrettando un poco, a piacere per la cadenza, poco stentando), adding to the theatrical intensity. The cello’s commanding performance against the piano’s complementary backdrop certainly reflects the composer’s penchant for both comedic and tragic operas, as evident in his catalogue. This passion is rooted in his birthplace, a small village nestled in the Isernia province.
Published in 1935 by Carisch in Milan and paying homage to Osvaldo Pirani, the “Sonata (Quasi Fantasia) in E” for cello and piano is a three-movement composition. This structure is standard for the French models of the time. The piece exhibits an exemplary use of internal materials and an intense dialogue between the two instruments. The opening “Allegro ma non troppo (quasi fantasia)” exhibits a strong French influence, while its lyrical theme is followed by a second, rhythmically flexible motive that falls between Italian Commedia dell’Arte and Stravinsky’s Russian style, marionette-inspired. The central Adagio offers a relaxed dialectic filled with sensual modern expressiveness, while the concluding Allegro is reminiscent of a rondò that combines late Romantic Brahmsian elements (which are also found, for instance, in the composer’s youthful Scherzo op. 2) with impressionist lyrical expansions.
The early maturity work “Introduzione e burlesca” for violin and piano, dedicated to Giulio Bignami, was printed by Carisch in 1954. This piece was later presented as the first movement of the Suite for violin and small orchestra in 1966 and then in the Suite for violin and piano in 1970. Here too, the Adagio unfolds in a recitative form, over thirty bars, allowing the string instrument to shine with sharp tones and leaps over the sparse piano chords. In contrast, the Allegro spigliato bursts with rhythmic momentum, virtuoso trills, and a candid humor reminiscent of “Histoire du soldat.”
Concluding the lineup is one of Aladino Di Martino’s most beloved compositions for piano and strings, the “Trio in G major,” penned in 1932. Published twenty years later by De Santis in Rome titled “Adagio ed Allegro,” it had been known and performed in these two movements only. Subsequent research led to the discovery of two manuscript scores that also include an initial Allegro, both stored at the “Umberto Giordano” Library in Foggia, dated 1932 and 1934 respectively. The complete execution of the Trio, as reported in the 1932 autograph, is a premiere in this project. It presents an “Allegro vivace” characterized by intense instrumental dialogue reminiscent of Debussy’s Op. 10. The beautiful “Adagio” is inscribed “In memory of my Mother,” Giacinta Di Giacomo, a humble yet determined woman who single-handedly raised five sons, all born to a husband who left for America in search of better fortune and never returned. The finale, an “Allegro” with a Bartók flavor, exhibits playful violin, intense cello, and piano parts, but also alludes to Respighi’s childlike theme from “Pini di Villa Borghese.”
Paola De Simone ©2023