Antonino Riccardo Luciani

Antonino Riccardo Luciani
Born10 August 1931 (1931-08-10)
Palermo, Italy
Died29 January 2020 (2020-01-30) (aged 88)
Florence, Italy
Other namesA. Riccardo Luciani
Antonino R. Luciani
Riccardo Lucciani
OccupationComposer

Antonino Riccardo Luciani (10 August 1931 – 29 January 2020) was an Italian classical composer, conductor and academic.

Life and career

Born in Palermo, Luciani moved with his family in Florence when he was two years old.[1] Following his early studies by Clemente Terni, at 17 he moved to Canavese to become the last pupil of Rosario Scalero.[1] After studying counterpoint with Scalero for three years and a half, he returned to Florence, where he graduated in composition from the Luigi Cherubini Conservatory, and attended Vito Frazzi's specialisation courses at the Accademia Chigiana.[1][2] His early compositions include the chamber opera Lo starnuto and the sonatina Sonatina Chigiana.[1] After getting his diploma, Luciani moved in Bogotà for three years, where he studied South American music and worked as professor of orchestra and choir conducting and music teaching.[1]

Returned to Italy, Luciani started collaborating with RAI as a composer, and became professor of score reading in his alma mater.[1] During this period he also collaborated with the Fiesole School of Music, and authored numerous compositions including the opera Talgor with a libretto by Giuliano Toraldo di Francia, the cantata Hoy como ayer, and the sacred cantata Ecco, verranno i giorni.[1] In 1976, he wrote his best known composition, Chanson balladée, which was for 16 years the opening theme of Rai 1 programme Almanacco del giorno dopo.[1][2]

Starting from 1991, Luciani collaborated with Orchestra della Toscana.[1] On the occasion of Mozart's bicentenary, he composed another well-known work, the symphonic composition for string orchestra Le tombeau perdu.[1] He died in Florence on 29 January 2020, at the age of 88.[3]

Partial discography

  • 1970: Panoramiche
  • 1970: Musiche Per Un Telefilm (with Paolo Renosto)
  • 1970: Contraspunti
  • 1971: Musica Poliformale
  • 1971: Civiltà Sepolte
  • 1971: Panorami Attuali
  • 1972: Agonia della Civiltà
  • 1973: Allarme Ecologico
  • 1975: Situazioni
  • 1975: Europa 1930-1940
  • 1975: Documenti di Storia
  • 1975: Musica Arcaica
  • 1975: Dal Medioevo al Rinascimento
  • 1976: Ambiente e Musica
  • 1976: Jazz in Libertà
  • 1976: Mediterranee
  • 1976: Paesi del Sud
  • 1976: Barocchiade
  • 1977: Gli Occhi sulla Città
  • 1978: Eventi
  • 1979: Cronache
  • 1979: Psyco Mood
  • 1979: Tecnica di un colpo di stato
  • 1980: Atmosfere (with Marco Melchiori)
  • 1980: Aspetti della Natura (with Marco Melchiori)
  • 1984: Contemporary Classics

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Cresti, Renzo; Negri, Eleonora (2004). Firenze e la musica italiana del secondo Novecento: le tendenze della musica d'arte fiorentina : con dizionario sintetico ragionato dei compositori. LoGisma. pp. 111, 398. ISBN 978-88-87621-43-3.
  2. ^ a b Parrella, Andrea (30 January 2020). "Morto Antonino Riccardo Luciani, autore della sigla dell'Almanacco del giorno dopo Rai". Fanpage (in Italian). Retrieved 12 July 2025.
  3. ^ Torselli, Elisabetta (11 February 2020). "Addio a A. Riccardo Luciani". Il giornale della musica (in Italian). Retrieved 12 July 2025.