Romualdo Marenco was an Italian composer primarily noted for ballet music. Marenco started his musical career as a violinist in the Doria Theater in Genoa

Genoa

Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....

. His first composition was the ballet Garibaldi's Landing in Marsala. He was appointed the orchestral conductor for La Scala

La Scala

La Scala , is a world renowned opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the New Royal-Ducal Theatre at La Scala...

 in Milan

Milan

Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...

 and also directed the ballet company there for seven years. His best-known ballets were written in collaboration with choreographer Luigi Manzotti

Luigi Manzotti

Luigi Manzotti was an Italian mime dancer and choreographer.Born in Milan, Manzotti created his first ballet in 1858 and his subsequent productions were performed around the world. Today he is best remembered for his choreography of the ballet Excelsior , music by Romualdo Marenco.-External links:...

 during that period.

Marenco is best remembered for the ballet Excelsior, composed in 1881. Excelsior is a tribute to the scientific and industrial progress of the 19th century, from the electric light to the telegraph, steam engine, and Suez Canal. As such it foreshadows the Futurism

Futurism

Futurism was an artistic and social movement that originated in Italy in the early 20th century.Futurism or futurist may refer to:* Afrofuturism, an African-American and African diaspora subculture* Cubo-Futurism* Ego-Futurism...

 movement. In the first nine months, it was staged 100 times in Italy and abroad. It is still performed and was recently (2002) staged in Milan.

Opera

• Lorenzino de' Medici (Libretto by G. Perosio, Lodi 1874)
• I Moncalda (Libretto by Fulgi, Milan 1880)
• Federico Struensée (Novi Ligure 1908)

Operetta

• Le Diable au corps (Libr. E. Blum and P. Toché, Paris 1884)
• Strategia d'amore (Libr. C. A. Blengi, Milan 1896)

Ballet

• Garibaldi's Landing in Marsala (choreog. Pretesi, Milan 1868)
• Amore e Arte (Milan, La Scala 1869)
• Bianca di Nevers (Milan, La Scala 1872)
• The Seven Deadly Sins (Milan, La Scala 1873)
• Tempatation (retitled: Ermanzia, Milan, La Scala 1874)
• Sieba (Turin, 1878)
• Delial ( Milan, La Scala 1880)
• Excelsior (Milan, La Scala 1881)
• Dai Natha (Milan, La Scala 1882)
• L'astro di Afgan (Milan, La Scala 1883)
• Amor (Milan, La Scala 1886)
• Hannibal (Milan, Teatro Dal Verme
  Teatro Dal Verme
  The Teatro Dal Verme is a theatre in Milan, Italy located on the Via San Giovanni sul Muro, on the site of the former private theatre the Politeama Ciniselli. It was designed by Giuseppe Pestagalli to a commission from Count Francesco Dal Verme, and was used primarily for plays and opera...
  
  1888)
• Teadora (Milan, La Scala 1889)
• Day-Sin (Milan, La Scala 1891)
• Sport (Milan, La Scala 1897)
• Eureka (Milan, La Scala 1901)
• Bacco and Gambrinus (Milan, La Scala 1904)
• Light (Milan, La Scala 1905)

Other works

• 2 Symphonies
• Inaugural March for the Turin Exposition
• Bella Elvezia, polka for pianoforte
• Hymn to Ticino (Lugano 1899)