Life
Trained during the period of Realism, his mature career unfolded in the complex climate of the Fin de siècle, an era in which the poetics of Verismo, Decadentism, and Symbolism intertwined and coexisted.
Born in Lucca in 1857, Carlo Carignani studied with Carlo Angeloni and shared his formative years with Giacomo Puccini at the Giovanni Pacini Musical Institute. He maintained a lasting bond with his famous friend, so much so that he reduced all of Puccini's operas for voice and piano, from Edgar to the Trittico.
Carignani was active as a composer of chamber music, piano pieces, and romanzas. In 1885 he wrote a hymn for the inauguration of the monument to Vittorio Emanuele II in Lucca and other celebratory compositions. He worked as a conductor and singing teacher, spreading Tuscan musical culture beyond his city.
He died in Milan in 1919, leaving a repertoire that reflects the taste and trends of the Italian late nineteenth century, linked to the great national melodic tradition.
Aneddoto
A Minuet from Puccini
Giacomo Puccini dedicated his Minuet No. 3 for string quartet to Carignani, a testimony to their youthful friendship and mutual respect.Works
Among his works are the 4 Pensieri for violin or mandolin and piano, a Gavotte for string quartet, mazurkas for piano (Toscanina, Carezze, Simpatica), the polka Mietta, and the piano pieces Sull’imbrunire, Notturno, and Momento triste, as well as the barcarolle Dove si va. He wrote romanzas such as Non c’è più convento and La vispa Teresa, in addition to patriotic hymns like Saluto al Gran Re and the Hymn for the inauguration of the monument to Vittorio Emanuele II. He reduced all of Puccini's works for voice and piano, including Edgar, and also composed sacred pieces like A Gesù Bambino.
Briciole di storia
School by Law
On July 15, 1877, the Italian Parliament approved the Coppino Law, destined to change the face of the country. Proposed by the Minister of Public Education Michele Coppino, the regulation made elementary education compulsory, secular, and free for at least two years, later extended to three, for all children aged six to nine. In an Italy where the illiteracy rate exceeded 70%, peaking at 90% in the South, it was the first true attempt by the State to create a national consciousness starting from the school desks. Despite difficulties in application and resistance, the Coppino Law was a fundamental step in the long and arduous journey to "make Italians" after having made Italy.
Pubblico dominio (Commons)
