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Why Study the 12-tone Music of Luigi Dallapiccola?
Excerpts from Brian Alegant's Project Proposal
Luigi Dallapiccola
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF SCHOTT MUSIK INTERNATIONAL
Music theorists agree that the advent of 12-tone composition is one of the most important musical developments in the 20th century. Theorists also agree that Luigi Dallapiccola (1904-75) is one of the most accomplished 12-tone composers. His output comprises a variety of frequently performed and highly respected works, including ballets, choral music, concerti, film scores, piano music, song cycles, operas, and chamber pieces. In addition, he enjoyed international fame as a lecturer, teacher, author, and member of the national academies of arts in the U.S., France, and England.
And yet, little has been written about Dallapiccola's music in general, and virtually nothing has been said about his use of harmony. The literature consists of a handful of studies that focus primarily on his rhythmic or melodic organization and one close reading of one movement from an early work. Perhaps the best explanation for this neglect is Dallapiccola's idiosyncratic handling of the 12-tone system: he uses tone rows in ways that, until now, have proven analytically resistant.
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