Composer. His fame rests on his opera "Adriana Lecouvreur" (1902), a minor classic of the Italian repertory. Based on the life of the legendary 18th Century French actress, it is a fictionalized account of her affair with a nobleman and ends with her being poisoned by a romantic rival. Its arias "Io son' l'umile ancella" and "Poveri fiori" are favorite soprano showpieces. Cilea was born in Palmi, Italy. He entered the Naples Conservatory in 1881 and his first opera, "Gina" (1889), was written as his graduation exercise. Stylistically conservative, he was influenced by Verdi and late French Romanticism and never warmed to the "verismo" trend of the time; this, along with slow work habits and poor choices of librettos, hampered his career. None of his other stage works - "La tilda" (1892), "L'arlesiana" (1897), and "Gloria" (1907) - enjoyed the success of "Adriana Lecouvreur", and after 1907 he virtually stopped composing to become a teacher. He was director of the Naples Conservatory from 1916 until his retirement in 1936. Cilea spent his last years in Varazze, where he had been made an honorary citizen. In 1962 his remains were reinterred at his native Palmi, in a mausoleum built for him by the town.
Composer. His fame rests on his opera "Adriana Lecouvreur" (1902), a minor classic of the Italian repertory. Based on the life of the legendary 18th Century French actress, it is a fictionalized account of her affair with a nobleman and ends with her being poisoned by a romantic rival. Its arias "Io son' l'umile ancella" and "Poveri fiori" are favorite soprano showpieces. Cilea was born in Palmi, Italy. He entered the Naples Conservatory in 1881 and his first opera, "Gina" (1889), was written as his graduation exercise. Stylistically conservative, he was influenced by Verdi and late French Romanticism and never warmed to the "verismo" trend of the time; this, along with slow work habits and poor choices of librettos, hampered his career. None of his other stage works - "La tilda" (1892), "L'arlesiana" (1897), and "Gloria" (1907) - enjoyed the success of "Adriana Lecouvreur", and after 1907 he virtually stopped composing to become a teacher. He was director of the Naples Conservatory from 1916 until his retirement in 1936. Cilea spent his last years in Varazze, where he had been made an honorary citizen. In 1962 his remains were reinterred at his native Palmi, in a mausoleum built for him by the town.
Bio by: Bobb Edwards
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