Life
Trained during the final phase of Romanticism, his long career led him to reach full artistic maturity in the early 20th century, an era of avant-gardes where the aestheticism of Decadentism, the suggestions of Symbolism, and the radical disruption of Futurism coexisted.
Born in Sassari in 1849, Luigi Canepa showed early musical talent, enough to move to Milan at a very young age to attend the Conservatory. Here he studied with great masters, graduating in composition and starting a brilliant career.
He debuted as an opera composer with Davide Rizio (1871, Milan), followed by I Pezzenti (1874, Milan) and Riccardo III (1879, Venice), works that earned him national notoriety. He alternated theatrical activity with sacred works, writing masses, motets, and marches. He also composed symphonic and patriotic music, reflecting his Risorgimento ideals.
His life was not only musical: Canepa took part in political life, becoming a Member of Parliament and fighting for the rights of Sardinia. He was a respected figure in civil and cultural circles, a point of reference for his hometown.
He died in Sassari in 1914, leaving a legacy that unites music and civil commitment. The Conservatory of Sassari is named after him.
Aneddoto
A conservatory in his name
Today, the Musical Conservatory of Sassari bears the name of Luigi Canepa, witnessing the love that the city preserves for its illustrious fellow citizen.Works
Among his theatrical works are Davide Rizio (1871, Milan), I Pezzenti (1874, Milan), Riccardo III (1879, Venice), and Adelasia (1888, Sassari). He also composed masses and sacred music, symphonies, and patriotic marches, including the famous Marcia Reale Sarda (Royal Sardinian March).
Briciole di storia
Italy enters Rome
In the early morning hours of September 20, 1870, the Italian army's artillery opened a breach of about thirty meters in the ancient Aurelian Walls, near Porta Pia. Through that gap, the Bersaglieri entered Rome, ending the thousand-year temporal power of the Popes and annexing the city to the Kingdom of Italy. The event, made possible by the defeat of Napoleon III—the Pope's protector—in the Franco-Prussian War, was the fulfillment of the Risorgimento. Pope Pius IX declared himself a prisoner in the Vatican, starting the "Roman Question" that would mark relations between State and Church for the next sixty years. But for Italy, that day represented the conquest of its natural capital and the seal of its unity.
Pubblico dominio (Commons)
