Michele Esposito

Michele Esposito (29 September 1855 – 19 November 1929) was an Italian musical composer, conductor and pianist who spent most of his professional life in Dublin, Ireland.^[1]

Training

Esposito was born at Castellamare di Stabia, near Sorrento. As a boy he entered a Music Conservatory at Naples as a pianoforte pupil of Beniamino Cesi (1845–1907, himself a favourite pupil of Thalberg), and studied composition there for 8 years under Paolo Serrao (1830–1907, teacher of Francesco Cilea and others). He was a near-contemporary of Giuseppe Martucci, and a few years the senior of Alessandro Longo, both taught by these teachers. In 1878 he went to Paris for several years.^[2]

In 1879 he married Natalia Klebnikoff (1857–1944), who hailed from St Petersburg. They had four children, including the noted scholar Mario Esposito.^[3]

Teacher, pianist and conductor

Esposito became chief pianoforte professor at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in 1882, and remained there for more than forty years, devoting himself to the encouragement of classical music in Dublin. He took control of the Royal Dublin Society chamber-music recitals from their inception, with great success, and gave piano recitals for the Society every year. He established the Dublin Orchestral Society in 1899 and was its conductor until its disbandment in 1914, and he was also the conductor of the Sunday Orchestral Concerts until they were discontinued in 1914. He conducted concerts of the London Symphony Orchestra at Woodbrook in 1913 and 1914, and also performed his piano concerto with them under the baton of Hamilton Harty. He founded the 'C. and E. Edition' of music publishing with Sir Stanley Cochrane. He died in Florence, Italy.^[2]

Esposito conducted the Moscow premiere of Modest Mussorgsky's opera Khovanshchina with the Russian Private Opera at the Solodovnikov Theatre on 12 November 1897. (His brother Eugenio^[4] conducted the world premiere of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's opera-bylina Sadko on 7 January 1898 (O.S. 26 December 1897), presented by the Russian Private Opera at the same venue.)

Composer

Esposito received awards from the Feis Ceoil for his cantata Deirdre, his Irish Symphony and his string quartet in D. His cello sonata won a prize from the London Incorporated Society of Musicians in 1899. His violin sonata in E minor gained a prize offered by La Société Nouvelle, Paris, in 1907, and his string quartet in C minor won another offered by the Accademia Filarmonica di Bologna.

Works

Stage The Post Bag op. 52 (Alfred Perceval Graves), 1-act opera (1901; vocal score, London: Boosey & Co., 1902) The Tinker and the Fairy op. 53 (Douglas Hyde), 1-act opera (1904; vocal score, Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1910) Peggy Machree ("Patrick Bidwell" = Elizabeth Curtis O'Sullivan), romantic comedy with music (1904; three songs published in New York: Church, 1908) Vocal with orchestra Deirdre op. 38 (Thomas William Rolleston), cantata for soli, chorus and orchestra (1897; vocal score, Dublin: Pigott & Co., 1899) Orchestra (incl. concertos) Piano Concerto op. 18 (perf. 1878 in Naples, unpublished) Sinfonia op. 24 (1874, unpublished) Scherzo fugoso (c.1895, unpublished) Poem for harp and orchestra op. 44 (1898, unpublished) Othello, overture op. 45 (1900, unpublished) Oriental Suite op. 47 (1900, unpublished) Fantasia for two pianos and orchestra op. 48 (c.1901, unpublished) Irish Symphony op. 50 (1902, Dublin: An Gúm, 1955) Irish Suite op. 55 (c.1903; Dublin: C.E. Music Publishers, 1915) Piano Concerto [No. 2] in F minor op. 68 (1912, unpublished) Neapolitan Suite op. 69 (c.1923; Dublin: C.E. Music Publishers, 1927?) Chamber music Piano Trio op. 9 (c.1877, unpublished) Piano Quartet [No. 1] op. 12 (1877, unpublished) Piano Quartet [No. 2] op. 17 (1878, unpublished) Movement for String Quartet op. 21 (1882, unpublished) Two Pieces for Viola and Piano op. 22 (1881, unpublished) Violin Sonata [No. 1] in G major op. 32 (1881; London and Leipzig: Stanley Lucas, Weber, Pitt & Hatzfeld, 1892; later reissued by Schott) String Quartet [No.1] in D major op. 33 (1886; Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1899) Tarantella for piano duet op. 35 (date?, Dublin: Pigott & Co., c.1900) Piano Quintet op. 42 (1898, unpublished) Cello Sonata in D major op. 43 (1898; Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1899) Violin Sonata [No. 2] in E minor op. 46 (1899; Paris: G. Astruc, 1907) Irish Rhapsody No. 1 for violin and piano op. 51 (1901; Milan: Ricordi, 1909) Irish Rhapsody No. 2 for violin and piano op. 54 (1902; Milan: Ricordi, 1909) Five Irish Melodies for violin and piano op. 56 (Dublin: Pigott, 1903). Contains: Rich and Rare, The Coulin, Silent, O Moyle, Fly not yet, When through Life. Two Irish Airs for violin and piano op. 57 (London: Schott, c.1903). Contains: Farewell but whenever, Cradle Song; The Silver Tip, Irish reel. String Quartet [No. 2] in C minor op. 60 (1906; Dublin: C.E. Music Publishers, 1914) Violin Sonata [No. 3] in A major op. 67 (1913; Dublin: C.E. Music Publishers, n.d.) String Quartet [No. 3] in B flat major op. 70 (1923, unpublished) Piano solo Pensiero malincolico op. 2 (date?; Milan: Ricordi, 1877) Scherzo [No. 1] op. 3 (date?; Milan: Lucca, 1879) Allegro op. 4 (date?; Milan: Lucca, 1879) Allegretto op. 5 (date?; Milan: Lucca, 1877) Romanza op. 6 (date?; Milan: Lucca, 1879) Album op. 7 (date?; Milan: Lucca, 1879). Contains: Augurio, Malinconico, Duetto, Visione, Allegro appassionato. Fantasia op. 8 (date?; Milan: Lucca, 1879) Momento di fantasia op. 10 (date?; Milan: Lucca, 1879) Capriccio op. 11 (date?; Milan: Lucca, 1879) Quattro notturni op. 13 (date?; Milan: Lucca, 1879). Contains: Moderato, Andante, Sorrento (lento), Lento. Valzer op. 14 (date?; Milan: Lucca, 1879) [Lento] op. 16 (date?; contribution to album Alla memoria di Vincenzo Bellini, Milan: Ricordi, 1884)

Due pezzi op. 19 (date?; Milan: Lucca, 1879). Contains: Andante tranquillo, Lento. Sei canzoni op. 23 (date?; Milan: Lucca, 1880). Contains: Moderato, Lento, Allegro moderato, Andante, Moderato, Semplice. Valzer della polenta (1881; Milan: Ricordi, 1881) Tre pezzi caratteristici op. 26 (date?; Milan: Ricordi, 1882) Scherzo [No. 2] op. 28 (date?; Dublin: Pohlmann & Co., c.1882) Two Pieces op. 29 (c.1883; Dublin: Pohlmann & Co., 1883). Contains: Serenata, Improvviso. Four Sketches op. 30 (c.1883; Dublin: Pohlmann & Co., 1883). Contains: Andantino, Animato, Moderato, Vivace. Progressive Studies op. 31 (c.1883; Dublin: Pohlmann & Co., 1883). Contains 2 books of 10 studies each. Notturno (date?, London: Ascherberg, 1885) Suite op. 34 (date?; Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1902). Contains: Vol. 1: Prélude, Agitato-Tranquillo, Badinage; Vol. 2: Nocturne, Valse, Petite sérénade, Rêverie. Deux Nocturnes op. 36 (date?; London: Forsyth, 1898). Contains: Lento, Andante. Deux Valses op. 37 (date?; London: Forsyth, 1898). Contains: Tempo di valse, Tempo lento di valse. Two Irish Melodies op. 39 (date?; Dublin: Pigott & Co., 1896). Contains: Avenging and Bright, Though the Last Glimpse of Erin. Ballades op. 59 (date?; Milan: Ricordi, 1907). Contains: Appassionato, Lento ed espressivo, Con moto ed energico. Three Pieces op. 61 (c.1912; Dublin: C.E. Music Publishers, 1930). Contains: Alba, Zenith, Tramonto. Impromptu op. 62 (1912; Dublin: C.E. Music Publishers, 1930) Remembrance op. 63 (1912; Dublin: C.E. Music Publishers, c.1930) A Village Fête op. 64 (1912; Dublin: C.E. Music Publishers, c.1930) Three Pieces op. 65 (1912; Dublin: C.E. Music Publishers, c.1930). Contains: Vain Regrets, In the Garden, At the Spinning Wheel. Preludi op. 66 (1910-2; Milan: Ricordi, 1936, as part of op. 72 [nos. 2, 5, 9]) My Irish Sketch Book op. 71 (date?; Dublin: C.E. Music Publishers, 1932). 12 pieces in 4 sets. Set 1: The Bard and the Fairy, The Rose-Tree, Dance and Song. Set 2: The Exile's Vision, A Song, Night Patrol. Set 3: The Little Stack of Barley, Lullaby, Jig. Set 4: King James, A Lament, Bagpipes. Nove preludi op. 72 (1910–29, incorporating op. 66; Milan: Ricordi, 1936). Contains: Allegro vivo e appassionato, Tempo di mazurka, Sostenuto, Allegro moderato, Languido, Andante moderato, Con moto e leggero, Con moto e grazioso, Lento (Pensiero elegiaco alle memoria di Giuseppe Martucci). Songs Canti di Lorenzo Stecchetti op. 15 (date?; Milan: Lucca, 1879). Contains: Spes, ultima dea, Scritto supra un sasso, Fior di siepe. Trois mélodies (Théophile Gautier, Victor Hugo) (1880-1, unpublished). Details unknown. Tre Canti di Lorenzo Stecchetti op. 25 (1881, unpublished). Details unknown. Trois Chansons op. 27 (Émile Blémont) (1881, unpublished). Details unknown. Three Irish Melodies op. 40 (George Sigerson) (date?; Dublin: Pigott & Co., 1897). Contains: O Hush O, The Heather Glen, Mavourneen Mine. Irish Melodies op. 41 (poets unclear) (date?). One song published: The Lark in the Clear Air (Samuel Ferguson), Op. 41.2 (Dublin: Pigott & Co., c.1898). Roseen Dhu, Irish Vocal Suite op. 49 (Alfred Perceval Graves) (1901; London: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1901). Contains: The Shadow of a Dream, My Rose of Hope, In Reasons Despite, Is it true?, Her Answer, The Clarion's Call, She Stood at my Side. The West's Awake (Thomas Davis) (date?; London: Boosey & Co., 1901) Siubal na mona (Douglas Hyde) (date?; London: Ricordi, 1911) Dear Land (John O'Hagan) (date?; Dublin: C.E. Music Publishers, c.1920) Rest, though Gentle Sea (anon.) (date?; Dublin: C.E. Music Publishers, 1920) Two Shelley Songs (Percy Bysshe Shelley) (1905; Dublin: C.E. Music Publishers, 1921). Contains: Time Long Past, To Night. Choral, unaccompanied Seán Glas (anon.) (date?; London: Vincent, 1913)

Recordings

• Ballades op. 59; Alla memoria di Vincenzo Bellini op. 16; 5 excerpts from My Irish Sketch Book op. 71; Preludes 1, 5, 2, 4, 9 from Nove preludi op. 72; Impromptu op. 62; Three Pieces op. 61; A Village Fête op. 64; Nocturne, Valse, Rêverie (from Suite op. 34, Vol. 2); Remembrance op. 63; Visione (from Album op. 7). Recorded by Míċeál O'Rourke (piano), on: Esposito: Works for Piano, Chandos CHAN 9675 (CD, 1998).
• Though the Last Glimpse of Erin from Two Irish Melodies op. 39; and Appassionato from Ballades op. 59 (no. 1). Recorded by Una Hunt (piano), on: Fallen Leaves from an Irish Album, RTÉ lyric fm CD 109 (CD, 2006).
• Violin Sonatas opp. 32, 46, and 67, and Cello Sonata op. 43. Recorded by Mia Cooper (violin), William Butt (cello) and Lance Coburn (piano), on: Champs Hill Records CHRCD 066 (CD, 2013).
• Violin Sonatas opp. 32, 46, and 67; Irish Rhapsody no. 1 op. 51; Irish Rhapsody no. 2 op. 54; nos. 2, 3, 5 from Five Irish Melodies op. 56; no. 2 from Two Irish Airs op. 57. Performed by Carmelo Andreani (violin) & Vincenzo Maltempo (piano), on Brilliant Classics 95102 (double CD, 2015).

Bibliography

• Kees van Hoek: "Michele Esposito. Maestro of Dublin", in: The Irish Monthly 71 (June 1943), pp. 223–30
• G.L. Aiello [= Mario Esposito]: Al musicista Michele Esposito nel primo centenario della nascita (Comune di Castellamare di Stabia, 1955)
• John Bowyer Bell: "Waiting for Mario. The Espositos, Joyce and Beckett", in: Éire-Ireland 30 (1995), pp. 7–26.
• Jeremy Dibble: Michele Esposito (Dublin: Field Day, 2010)

References

1. "Concert Programmes". Retrieved 28 July 2014.
2. Obituary, Irish Times, Dublin, 25 November 1929, p. 5
3. Esposito, Mario (1988). Latin Learning in Mediaeval Ireland. London: Ashgate. pp. 300–01. ISBN 0-86078-233-6.
4. Keith Horner (n.d.), "Esposito, Michele", in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians online, accessed 13 July 2015. (subscription required)

External links

• Free scores by Michele Esposito at the International Music Score Library Project