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Born: April 5, 1853 - Carolei, Cosenza, Calabria, Italy
Died: September 10, 1931 - Roma (Rome), Italy |
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The Italian pianist, teacher, composer and arranger, Alfonso Rendano, was particularly precocious studied ain Caserta and at the age of 10 he was admitted to the Naples Conservatory (1863), After making his debut as a pianist in 1864, he pursued training with Sigismund Thalberg in Naples (1866-1867), who sent him to Paris, recommending him to Rossini. In Paris he studied with Georges Mathias, Frédéric Chopin's pupil (1867); then with Carl Reinecke and Ernst Richter at the Leipzig Consevatory (1868).
For about 15 years, Alfonso Rendano carried out an intense musical activity; he then devoted himself to teaching, first in at the Naples Conservatory (1883) and at his own piano school (1883-1886); then he settled in in Rome to teach privately. He was the inventor of the pedale independente. This 3rd pedal was placed between the standard 2 pedals of the piano with the intention of prolonging the vibration of single sounds or chords.
Alfonso Rendano composed wrote the opera Consuelo (Turin, May 25, 1902), successfully staged in Turin and in Germany; Piano Concerto, Piano Quintet, many piano pieces, and vocal works. He also enjoyed the support of Franz Liszt who tried to help ensure that Rendano's Piano Concerto would receive a performance in a coming German music festival. Franz Liszt wrote of the work: "It is a vigorous, original and remarkable work which I greatly appreciate." He held his last concert at Rome's Teatro Valle in 1925. He died in Rome in 1931. The main theatre of Cosenza is named after him. |
