New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-08-29
Malipiero's Quartet Wins
Coolidge Prize for 1920
Italian Composer Once Outwitted Jury a.,l Took
Four Prizes i'm Contest Held
at Rome

Friends Of Music next January.
Prunieres's article, written at Rome
In December, 1918, and translated by
Miss Lorraine Wyman, gives interesting
facts about the composers life, and
contains a critical appreciation Of his
works in detail
The Composers Childhood
Malipiero was born In Venice, March
1s. 1882. q member of an old Venetian
family. His grandfather, tho first
Malipiero, composed many operas and
according to Prunieres, was considered
rival Of Verdi. Unfortunate theat-
rical affairs brought about his ruin.
His son, Luigi Malipicro, a pianist
married Countess Balbi. Three sons
were born to them. All three proved
to be musicians, Francesca, the COM
poser; Ricardo, violoncellist and
Ernesto, = violinist.
Tho atmosphere Of his childhood was
wholly musical. At six the future
composer dreamed Of becoming a
painter, but began tho study of the
violin At eleven, after family ca
tastrophe, Luigi Malipiero left his
home, taking with him his mother and
his oldest son, Francesca. The child
knew years Of wandering. Sometimes
he played with his father In small Or
chestras.
In Vienna n rich Pole made 1t pos
siblo for him to study his instrument
seriously and to Join the harmony
class at the conservatory, taught by
Professor Stocker.
In 1899 he left Vienna and returned
to live with his mother In Venice.
There he studied at tho IAceo Musi-
Gale with Professor Bossi. Two events
which occurred at this time were to
influence his career later. The first
was a performance Of the "Meister-
singer, the second was the discovery
in the Marciana Library Of scores from
the seventeenth and eighteenth CEN
tnries- His hnd led him TO read,
transcribe and copy the operas Of Mon
teverde, Cavall and Scarlatti and the
sonatas of Tartini. Traces Of both
styles are found In his works.
Meeting Antonio smareglia, a blind
disciple Of Wagner, Malipiero con-
scented to write this musicians scores
for him &t his dictation. This work
stepped the Italian In Wagnerian
traditions. He reorchestrated his suite
Dale Alpi" In accordance with the
latest phase Of his musical education.
But the process of his musical evolu-
ton continued. His Wagncrian adven-
lures obliterated from his mind the
Impressions left by the operas Of Verdi,
Mascagni and Puccini. In time he
freed himself from Wagnerian obses-
sion. The "Canto notturno dun paA
tore crrante delP Asia" for BARITONE.
orchestra and chorus, represented an
other phase Of his development. "Poemi
lunar" for the piano were written
under the influence Of his friend, the
painter Marius Pictor, in whose fan
tastic paintings he took great delight.
In 1910 Malipiero married the daugh-
ret of the Venetian painter Rosa and
stepped himself in domestic life. Dur
ing the next three years complete loss
Of faith in himself and the repeated
assertions Of his friends that he was
crazy preyed upon his mind. He went
to Paris, where he met Ravel, De-
busy and Dukas and familiarizod him
self with the modern French move
mcnt D'Annunzio gave him permits
sion to set al sogno dun tramonto
d'autunno" to music He began this
shortly after the failure of his opera
"Canossa" in Rome According to