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Rita Brondi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Maria Rita Brondi
Born5 July 1889
Rimini
Died1 July 1941
Rome
Occupation(s)Musician, composer, writer

Maria Rita Brondi (5 July 1889 – 1 July 1941) was an Italian guitarist, lutenist, singer, composer, and music historian. She gave concerts throughout Europe as a guitarist and singer, conducted research on lute and guitar history, and composed guitar pieces. She was also an editor for the Enciclopedia Italiana.

Early life

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Maria Rita Brondi was born in Rimini in 1884[1] or 1889.[2][3] She was taught guitar first by her father, who was a noted performer,[3] and then studied guitar with Luigi Mozzani, and then travelled to Barcelona to receive lessons from Francisco Tárrega.[4] She later studied voice with Paolo Tosti in England and composition with M. Manozzi.[3] Tárrega dedicated a solo guitar composition to Brondi, calling her his favourite pupil.[5][2]

Career

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Brondi toured in Europe as a guitarist and singer,[6] known for singing Italian regional folk songs.[7] She performed for Queen Margherita in Rome, and for a number of other titled people, including the Duchess of Aosta in Turin, and Princess Bona Adelaide and the Duke of Ancona.[3] She performed more than 500 concerts during the World War I.[3] She was also a composer of guitar works.[8] She wrote a book on the history of the guitar, titled Il liuto e la chitarra (1926), which was published in several editions through the twentieth century.[9][10] She was mentioned as a peer of Italian musicians Elisabetta Oddone [ca] (1878–1972) and Geni Sadero (also known as Eugenia Scarpa, 1886–1961),[11] though both of them outlived her. Julian Bream mentioned her as making early lute recordings, in company with Suzanne Bloch and Diana Poulton.[12] Brondi was also an editor for the Enciclopedia Italiana.[1]

Personal life

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Brondi died at age 51 in Rome, in 1941.[1] Her compositions are still played and recorded, for example on a collection titled Guitar Music by Women Composers (2009), by Dutch guitarist Annette Kruisbrink.[13]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Cohen, Aaron I. (1987). International Encyclopedia of Women Composers (2nd ed.). South Africa: Books & Music (USA). p. 113. ISBN 0-9617485-0-8.
  2. ^ a b Bautista, Pedro (August 30, 2016). "Women in Classical Guitar". Oviatt Library. Retrieved 2020-08-14.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Diccionario - Brondi, Maria Rita (Italia, 1889-1941) - Biblioteca de la Guitarra y Cuerda Pulsada". Diccionario - Brondi, Maria Rita (Italia, 1889-1941) - Biblioteca de la Guitarra y Cuerda Pulsada. Retrieved 2025-04-15.
  4. ^ Verdery, Benjamin (1999). Easy classical guitar recital: easy repertoire and performance tips for the beginning player. Alfred Music Publishing. p. 5. ISBN 978-0-7390-0076-2.
  5. ^ "Minuetto (a Maria Rita Brondi)". Music for Classical Guitar. Retrieved 2020-08-13.
  6. ^ "Nos Concerts a l'Hôtel du Journal les Modes". Le Theatre: 21. April 1908.
  7. ^ Carlucci, Alessandro (2013-09-13). Gramsci and Languages: Unification, Diversity, Hegemony. BRILL. p. 52. ISBN 978-90-04-25639-2.
  8. ^ "Maria Rita Brondi". Sheer Pluck - Database of Contemporary Guitar Music. Retrieved 2020-08-13.
  9. ^ Brondi, Maria Rita (1926). Il liuto e la chitarra: ricerche storiche sulla loro origine e sul loro sviluppo (in Italian). Torino: Fratelli Bocca. OCLC 6634832.
  10. ^ Brondi, Maria Rita (1979). Il liuto e la chitarra: ricerche storiche sulla loro origine e sul loro sviluppo (in Italian). A. Forni.
  11. ^ "La musica populare". Annali del Teatro Italiano. 1: 39. 1921 – via Internet Archive.
  12. ^ Kozinn, Allan (1990-03-25). "Music; Julian Bream Sets Off in a New (old) Direction". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-08-14.
  13. ^ Guitar music by women composers. Kruisbrink, Annette., Kruisbrink, Annette. Saint-Romuald, Québec, Canada: Productions d'OZ. 2009. ISBN 978-2-89655-234-4. OCLC 549147959.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
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