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Born: December 31, 1864 - Amantea, Cosenza, Calabria, Italy.
Died: November 3, 1945 - Napoli (Naples), Campania, Italy |
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The Italian pianist, composer, arranger, teacher and musicologist, Alessandro Longo, began his studies with his father Achille Lingo (1832-1919), a pianist and composer; then entered the Naples Conservatory (1878), where he studied piano with Beniamino Cesi, composition with Paolo Serrao, and organ (diplomas in all 3, 1885).
Alessandro Longo was a highly influential and strikingly versatile figure in early 20th-century Italian musical life. After his studies, he began teaching piano at his alma mater in 1887, deputizing for Cesi as pianoforte professor, and succeeded him in 1897, retiring in 1934. He was also active as a piano soloist, gaining a high reputation, and, from 1909, served as pianist of the Societá del Quartetto (with Cantani, Parmiciano, Scarano and Viterbini). He often played in other chamber ensemble, including the Ferni Quartet. He founded various musical institutions in Naples. In 1892 he founded the Circolo Scarlatti to promote the works of Domenico Scarlatti. In 1914 he began editing the review L'Arte Pianistica., which became Vita Musicale Italiana; it discontinued publication in 1926. He became Director of the Naples Conservatory in 1944, and died in Naples the following year, aged 80.
Today, he is mainly remembered for compiling an almost comprehensive catalogue of the keyboard works of Domenico Scarlatti. For many years, Scarlatti's keyboard sonatas were conventionally identified by their Longo numbers, but these were later superseded by those found in Ralph Kirkpatrick's catalogue. Longo's Catalogue originated in his landmark full publication of the works of Scarlatti in 11 volumes (Milano, 1906-1908) and implied particular groupings of the sonatas, the chronology of which was later completely revised and differently grouped in Ralph Kirkpatrick's 1953 study of the composer. Longo also edited works by Domenico Gallo.
Alessandro Longo was also the composer of over 300 works, including numerous pieces for piano solo (including 7 sonatas) and piano 4-hands (a serenade and a suite); chamber music: Piano quintet Op. 3, Suite for violin & piano Op. 33; Suite for piano & bassoon Op. 69, with oboe, with flute and with clarinet (Op. 62, October 2010, published by Ricordi).
His son, Achille Longo (1900-1954), was also a composer. |
