Classical Music of Italy

Italy has long been a center for European classical music, and by the beginning of the 20^th century, the Italian classical music had forged a different national sound that was decidedly Romantic and melodic. As typified by the operas of Vredi, it was music in which the vocal lyric always leads the tonal complex and is never overshadowed by the instrumental accompaniments. The Italian classical music had resisted the German harmonic juggernaut that is, the dense harmonies of Richard Wagner, Richard Strauss and Gustav Mahler, Italian music also had little common with the French reaction to that German music, the impressionism of Claude Debussy for instance in which melodic establishment is largely restricted for the making of the mood and atmosphere through the sounds of individual strings.

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The European classical music changed greatly in the 20^th century, new music abandoned much of the historical, nationally established schools of harmony and melody in favour of experimental music, atonality, minimalism and electronic music, all of that employ features that have become common to European music in general and not Italy specifically. These changes have also created the classical music less accessible to several people, important composers of the time such as Ferruccio Busoni, Alfred Casella, Ottorino Respighi, Gian Francesco Malipiero, Luciano Berior, Luigo Nono, Franco Alfano, Bruno Maderna, Sylvano Bussotti, Carlo Menotto, Goffredo Petrassi, Jacopo Napoli, Saciarrino and Luigi Dallapiccola.

The Italian classical music grew gradually more than the experimental and progress into the mid-20^th century, while famous tastes have tended to stick with well well-known composers and compositions of the past. During 2004 to 2005 program at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples is typical of present Italy: of the eight operas represented, the most recent was Puccini. In symphonic music, of the 26 musicians whose music was played 21 of them were from the 19^th century or earlier, composers who use the melodies and harmonies typical of the Romantic period. This focus is common to other European cultures and is called postmodernism, a school of thought that draws on earlier harmonic and melodic ideas that pre-date the formation of atonality and dissonance. This focus on famous historical musicians has helped to maintain a continued presence of the classical music all over the broad spectrum of Italian society. When music is part of a public display or gathering, this is often chosen from a very eclectic list that is as likely to include popular classical music as famous music.

A few current works have become a part of the present list, including scores and theatrical works by musicians like Luciano Berio, Franco Donatoni, Sylvano Bussotti and Luigi Nono. These musicians are not part of a separate school of tradition, though they do share certain methods and influences. By the 1970s, avant-garde classical music had become connected to the Italian communist party while a restoration of the famous interest continued into the next era, with the foundations, festival and organization established to promote the recent music. During the end of the 20^th century, government sponsorship of musical institutions start to declined, and many RAI choirs and city groups were closed, despite this a series of musicians gained international reputations in the early 21^st century.