Mario CASTELNUOVO-TEDESCO
MCT with mother Noemi, 1896
Born in Florence, Italy on 3 April
MCT at the piano, c. 1905
Begins piano studies with his mother. Writes first composition at age nine.
MCT, c.1911
Begins music studies at the conservatory.
“Fuori I Barbari!” published in 1915
MCT’s patriotic anthem “Fuori i Barbari” is published on page one of the newspaper L’Idea nazionale.
MCT in uniform, c.1918
Excused from active military duty after two months due to pleurisy. Receives diploma in Composition from Conservatory of Bologna.
Clara Forti and MCT, 1923
Marries Clara Forti.
MCT and Madeleine Grey, Florence, 1920s
Is sought-after as an accompanist in Italy. Works with renowned singers such as Madeleine Grey, Salomea Kurceniski, Marya Freund, and Lotte Lehman.
MCT with wife Clara and son Pietro, 1925
Son Pietro is born
Concerto Italiano, Op 31.
Premiere of Concerto Italiano in Rome, conducted by Bernardo Molinari.
Set design for La Mandragola by Primo Conti, 1926
Premiere of La Mandragola at La Fenice, Venice conducted by Piero Fabbroni.
MCT with his sons, 1932
Son Lorenzo is born.
Bacco in Toscana at La Scala, 1931
Bacco in Toscana premieres at Teatro alla Scala, Milano, conducted by Antonio Sabini.
1932 Venice International Festival program
Meets Andrés Segovia at the International Society of Contemporary Music Festival in Venice.
Opus 71, written for Andres Segovia
Writes first work for guitar, Variations à travers les siècles.
MCT with Heifetz at the Florence premiere of I Profeti, 1934
Violin Concerto No.2, I Profeti premieres in at Carnegie Hall, New York, performed by the New York Philharmonic conducted by Arturo Toscanini, with soloist Jascha Heifetz.
Savonarola set design, Bruno Bramanti, 1935
Savonarola premieres at III Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Piazza della Signoria, conducted by Fernando Previtali.
MCT with Piatigorsky, 1935
Cello Concerto Opus 72 premieres at Carnegie Hall, performed by the New York Philharmonic conducted by Toscanini with soloist Gregor Piatigorsky.
Corriere della Sera, 11 Nov 1938
Manifesto of Race – Italian Racial Laws published in September. By December, MCT decides to leave Italy.
Premiere of Opus 99, Montevideo, Oct 1939
Completes Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra, Op 99 for Segovia. Segovia premieres the work in Montevideo in October.
MCT purchased round-trip tickets for the family from Trieste to New York, 1939
Departs from Trieste aboard the Saturnia on 13 July.
MCT outside his home in Larchmont, New York 1939
Arrives in New York City on 27 July and moves shortly thereafter to nearby suburb of Larchmont.
1939, MCT’s American debut
Debuts as soloist at Carnegie Hall, New York performing his Second Piano Concerto with the New York Philharmonic, conducted by John Barbirolli.
MCT and son Lorenzo with the Marx Brothers on the set of The Big Store, 1940
Moves to Los Angeles to start work at in the music department at MGM.
And Then There Were None, 1945
Writes score for René Clair film And Then There were None.
MCT with fellow composers Alexandre Tansman and Ernst Toch, Los Angeles, 1940s
The Genesis Suite, a collaboration among the émigré composers, premieres at the Wiltern Theatre, Los Angeles under the baton of Werner Janssen.
MCT and Clara CT, American passport photos, 1946
MCT and Clara become American citizens.
Poster for The Loves of Carmen, 1948
Rita Hayworth selects MCT to write score for her film, The Loves of Carmen.
MCT, Segovia and the Paganini Quartet, Los Angeles, 1951
Guitar Quintet, Op 153 premieres at the Wilshire-Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles, performed by the Paganini Quartet with Segovia.
Auccasin et Nicolette, Florence, 1952
Aucassin et Nicolette premieres at XV Maggio Musicale Fiorentino.
MCT in a live TV interview about the Campari prize, 1959
Wins international opera competition Concorso Campari for The Merchant of Venice.
1959, Michigan State University concert honoring the composer
Teaches and lectures as Distinguished Visiting Professor, Michigan State University.
MCT at The Merchant of Venice premiere, 1961
The Merchant of Venice premieres at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, conducted by Franco Capuana.
Written in 1953, Opus 160 premiered in 1966
Second Guitar Concerto premieres in Los Angeles, conducted by Henri Temianka with soloist Christopher Parkening.
MCT in his Beverly Hills studio, 1968Dies in Los Angeles at age 72.