Alfredo Catalani

1854 - 1893

Among the giants of the operatic stage you might think of Verdi, Puccini, Rossini, Wagner or Mozart. Perhaps Donizetti, Gounod or Bernini. But the name Alfredo Catalani rarely comes to mind.

Like Bernini his life was cut short, he died of tuberculosis aged just 39. But unlike Bernini he left behind just a small collection of work. Of that canon, his operatic works are best known and although two found favour with the critics at the time , only one, La Wally, has survived as a very occasional piece in the modern repertory.

Alfredo was born in the Tuscan city of Lucca where he studied music at the local conservatory where his father taught. He moved to Milan where he studied at the Milan Conservatory. Here he was influenced both by the works of Wagner and the emerging “verismo” (realism) movement. This would see shorter works based on earthier themes embraced by Mascagni, Leoncavallo and of course Puccini.

Alfredo’s earlier works met with a mixed reception but both Loreley and La Wally enjoyed longer runs and there was a definite momentum building behind the popularity of his work. Which unfortunately was the point at which he contracted tuberculosis and died.

La Wally owes its reputation and occasional revivals to the soprano aria: “Ebben, ne andrò lontano”. It was featured in the 1980s French film Diva which prompted a brief resurgence of interest in Catalini and his work. And rightly so, it is a masterpiece.

Not the happiest ending for Valentine’s Day (spoiler alert - she throws herself into an avalanche), but definitely full of emotion.