Michele Esposito
Michele Esposito was an Italian composer, conductor and pianist who spent most of his professional life in Dublin, Ireland.
Training
Esposito was born at Castellamare di Stabia, near Sorrento. As a boy he entered the conservatory of Naples as a piano pupil of Beniamino Cesi, and studied composition there for 8 years under Paolo Serrao. 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.In 1879, he married Natalia Klebnikoff, who hailed from St Petersburg. They had four children, including the noted scholar Mario Esposito.
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 inaugurated the Royal Dublin Society chamber-music recitals, with great success, and gave piano recitals for the Society every year. He established the Dublin Orchestral Society in 1898 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. Together with Sir Stanley Cochrane, he founded the music publishing company "C. E. Edition". In the year before his death he returned to Italy and died in Florence.Composer
Esposito received awards from the Feis Ceoil for his cantata Deirdre, his Irish Symphony and his String Quartet in D major. 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, 1-act opera
- The Tinker and the Fairy, Op. 53, 1-act opera
- Peggy Machree, romantic comedy with music
- Deirdre, Op. 38, cantata for soli, chorus and orchestra
- Piano Concerto, Op. 18
- Sinfonia, Op. 24
- Scherzo fugoso
- Poem for harp and orchestra, Op. 44
- Othello, overture, Op. 45
- Oriental Suite, Op. 47
- Fantasia for two pianos and orchestra, Op. 48
- Sinfonia irlandese / Irish Symphony, Op. 50
- Irish Suite, Op. 55
- Piano Concerto in F minor, Op. 68
- Neapolitan Suite, Op. 69
- Piano Trio, Op. 9
- Piano Quartet , Op. 12
- Piano Quartet , Op. 17
- Movement for String Quartet, Op. 21
- Two Pieces for Viola and Piano, Op. 22
- Violin Sonata in G major, Op. 32
- String Quartet in D major, Op. 33
- Tarantella for piano duet, Op. 35
- Piano Quintet, Op. 42
- Cello Sonata in D major, Op. 43
- Violin Sonata in E minor, Op. 46
- Irish Rhapsody No. 1 for violin and piano, Op. 51
- Irish Rhapsody No. 2 for violin and piano, Op. 54
- Five Irish Melodies for violin and piano, Op. 56. Contains: Rich and Rare, The Coulin, Silent, O Moyle, Fly not yet, When through Life.
- Two Irish Airs for violin and piano, Op. 57. Contains: Farewell but whenever, Cradle Song; The Silver Tip, Irish reel.
- String Quartet in C minor, Op. 60
- Violin Sonata in A major, Op. 67
- String Quartet in B flat major, Op. 70
- Pensiero malincolico, Op. 2
- Scherzo , Op. 3
- Allegro, Op. 4
- Allegretto, Op. 5
- Romanza, Op. 6
- Album, Op. 7. Contains: Augurio, Malinconico, Duetto, Visione, Allegro appassionato.
- Fantasia, Op. 8
- Momento di fantasia, Op. 10
- Capriccio, Op. 11
- Quattro notturni, Op. 13. Contains: Moderato, Andante, Sorrento, Lento.
- Valzer op. 14
- Lento, Op. 16
- Due pezzi, Op. 19. Contains: Andante tranquillo, Lento.
- Sei canzoni, Op. 23. Contains: Moderato, Lento, Allegro moderato, Andante, Moderato, Semplice.
- Valzer della polenta
- Tre pezzi caratteristici, Op. 26
- Scherzo , Op. 28
- Two Pieces, Op. 29. Contains: Serenata, Improvviso.
- Four Sketches, Op. 30. Contains: Andantino, Animato, Moderato, Vivace.
- Progressive Studies, Op. 31. Contains 2 books of 10 studies each.
- Notturno
- Suite, Op. 34. Contains: Vol. 1: Prélude, Agitato-Tranquillo, Badinage; Vol. 2: Nocturne, Valse, Petite sérénade, Rêverie.
- Deux nocturnes, Op. 36. Contains: Lento, Andante.
- Deux valses, Op. 37. Contains: Tempo di valse, Tempo lento di valse.
- Two Irish Melodies, Op. 39. Contains: Avenging and Bright, Though the Last Glimpse of Erin.
- Ballades, Op. 59. Contains: Appassionato, Lento ed espressivo, Con moto ed energico.
- Three Pieces, Op. 61. Contains: Alba, Zenith, Tramonto.
- Impromptu, Op. 62
- Remembrance, Op. 63
- A Village Fête, Op. 64
- Three Pieces, Op. 65. Contains: Vain Regrets, In the Garden, At the Spinning Wheel
- Preludi, Op. 66
- My Irish Sketch Book, Op. 71. 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. Contains: Allegro vivo e appassionato, Tempo di mazurka, Sostenuto, Allegro moderato, Languido, Andante moderato, Con moto e leggero, Con moto e grazioso, Lento.
- Canti di Lorenzo Stecchetti, Op. 15. Contains: Spes, ultima dea, Scritto supra un sasso, Fior di siepe.
- Trois mélodies . Details unknown.
- Tre Canti di Lorenzo Stecchetti, Op. 25. Details unknown.
- Trois chansons, Op. 27 . Details unknown.
- Three Irish Melodies, Op. 40 . Contains: O Hush O, The Heather Glen, Mavourneen Mine.
- Irish Melodies, Op. 41 . One song published: The Lark in the Clear Air, Op. 41.2.
- Roseen Dhu, Irish Vocal Suite, Op. 49 . 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
- Siubal na mona
- Dear Land
- Rest, though Gentle Sea
- Two Shelley Songs . Contains: Time Long Past, To Night.
- Seán Glas
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 ; Remembrance, Op. 63; Visione. Recorded by Míċeál O'Rourke, on: Esposito: Works for Piano, Chandos CHAN 9675.
- Though the Last Glimpse of Erin from Two Irish Melodies, Op. 39; and Appassionato from Ballades, Op. 59. Recorded by , on: Fallen Leaves from an Irish Album, RTÉ lyric fm CD 109.
- Violin Sonatas, Opp. 32, 46, and 67, and Cello Sonata, Op. 43. Recorded by Mia Cooper, William Butt and Lance Coburn, on: Champs Hill Records CHRCD 066.
- 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 & Vincenzo Maltempo, on Brilliant Classics 95102.