Goffredo Petrassi

Although a late bloomer, Goffredo Petrassi developed into one of Italy's most significant composers of the mid- to late twentieth century. Launching his career in the 1930s with music on par with contemporary works by Hindemith and Stravinsky, Petrassi eventually became interested in certain twelve-tone techniques without casting his lot with the serialists. His music is dynamic and colorful, although emotionally reserved by the standards of his countrymen. Petrassi enrolled in choir school once his family moved to Rome in 1911. There, his studies revolved almost entirely aro...