Donatoni, Franco (1927–2000)

Italian composer. He studied in Rome with Ildebrando Pizzetti; he has been influenced by his teacher, and has used serial and, more recently, aleatory techniques.

Donatoni was born at Verona. He studied at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome with Pizzetti. At first his works were modelled on a Bartokian idiom, but after meeting the serialist composer Bruno Maderna in 1953 he took up integral serialism and produced his highly cerebral For Grilly (1960) as well as the String Quartet II (1958) and Doubles (1961). He tends to dense, heavily decorated writing, which has intensity but lacks clarity, especially in such concentrated orchestral scores as Per orchestra (1962), Strophes, and Sezioni. He is regarded as a leader of avant-garde music in Italy.

Works Opera Atem (1985).

Orchestral Concerto for bassoon and strings (1952), Divertimento for violin and chamber orchestra (1954), Black and White for 37 strings (1964), Doubles II for orchestra (1970), Portrait for harpsichord and orchestra (1976), In canda II for orchestra (1994).

Chamber four string quartets (1950–63), Etwas ruhiger in Ausdruck, for chamber ensemble (1968; title from no. 2 of Schoenberg's piano pieces Op. 23); Spiri for string quartet and ensemble (1977), Tema for woodwind and strings (1981), Refrain for eight instruments (1986), Flag for 13 instruments (1987), Chantal for flute, clarinet, harp, and string quartet (1990), Luci II for bassoon and cornet (1996).

Vocal The Book with Seven Seals, oratorio for soloists, chorus, and orchestra (1951), Serenata for soprano and 16 instruments (1959; text by Dylan Thomas), Arias for soprano and orchestra (1978).