Licinio Refice
Encyclopedia
Licinio Refice was an Italian
composer and priest. With Monsignor Lorenzo Perosi, he represented the new direction taken by Italian church music in the twentieth century.
His first opera Cecilia, about the legend of Saint Cecilia
, created a sensation with its premiere in Rome
in 1934; Claudia Muzio
took the title role. His second opera Margherita da Cortona had its premiere in 1938. A third one, Il Mago (1954), was left incomplete (within the first act).
Refice died in 1954 during a performance of Cecilia in Rio de Janeiro; Renata Tebaldi
was singing the title role in the performance.
In 1993, VAI published an abridged recording of a 1976 concert version of Cecilia (seen at Lincoln Center), featuring Renata Scotto
and Harry Theyard
.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
composer and priest. With Monsignor Lorenzo Perosi, he represented the new direction taken by Italian church music in the twentieth century.
His first opera Cecilia, about the legend of Saint Cecilia
Saint Cecilia
Saint Cecilia is the patroness of musicians and Church music because as she was dying she sang to God. It is also written that as the musicians played at her wedding she "sang in her heart to the Lord". St. Cecilia was an only child. Her feast day is celebrated in the Roman Catholic, Anglican,...
, created a sensation with its premiere in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in 1934; Claudia Muzio
Claudia Muzio
Claudia Muzio was an Italian operatic soprano, whose international career was among the most successful of the early 20th century.-Early years:...
took the title role. His second opera Margherita da Cortona had its premiere in 1938. A third one, Il Mago (1954), was left incomplete (within the first act).
Refice died in 1954 during a performance of Cecilia in Rio de Janeiro; Renata Tebaldi
Renata Tebaldi
Renata Tebaldi was an Italian lirico-spinto soprano popular in the post-war period...
was singing the title role in the performance.
In 1993, VAI published an abridged recording of a 1976 concert version of Cecilia (seen at Lincoln Center), featuring Renata Scotto
Renata Scotto
Renata Scotto is an Italian soprano and opera director.Recognized for her sense of style, musicality and as a remarkable singer-actress, Scotto is considered one of the preeminent singers of her generation, specializing in the bel canto repertoire with excursions into the verismo and Verdi...
and Harry Theyard
Harry Theyard
Harry Theyard , tenor, is a native of New Orleans and is a 1957 graduate of Loyola University of the South, where he studied under Dorothy Hulse, who was also the teacher of Audrey Schuh and Charles Anthony...
.