International Traetta Award
After a 12-year hiatus, the award returns to Italy!
The Traetta Society is delighted to announce that this year’s 14th International Traetta Award (Traetta Award) has been presented to Anna Trombetta and Luca Bianchini.
Mozart: The Fall of the Gods
This book offers a fresh and critical look at the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, challenging the myths that have surrounded him for centuries. We strip away the romanticised image of the “natural genius” and delve into the contradictions within Mozart’s extensive biographies. Backed by nearly 2,000 meticulously sourced citations, this work invites readers to explore a deeper, more complex understanding of Mozart. Perfect for those who wish to question the traditional narrative, this biography is a must-read for serious music lovers and historians.
"Leopold Mozart was the real composer behind many of Wolfgang and Nannerl’s early works, shaping their success while crafting his own legacy."
Mozart: The Fall of the Gods
They are being recognised for their “passion in musicological research on primary sources of the European musical repertoire, with significant contributions to the redefinition of 18th-century music historiography.”
The Traetta Prize (Italian: Premio Traetta) is an award assigned by the Traetta Society in recognition of achievements in the rediscovery of the roots of European music. The prize, conceived and promoted by the architect Gianfranco Spada, owes its name to the composer Tommaso Traetta (1727–1779) and is awarded each year during the Traetta Week, a festival dedicated to the composer that takes place during the eight days between the day of his birth to that of his death. (30 March – 6 April)
Traetta was one of the main composers of the Neapolitan School, who despite the huge success in life for his compositions has been unjustly unrecognised, along with other composers of the time, for his contribution to classical music by the music historiography of German origin, who founded the basics of classical music mostly on Germanic authors.
The objective of the Prize is to reward people who have committed themselves in expanding the knowledge of the musical production of the eighteenth century. The Prize borrows the name of Traetta as a symbol of a large list of composers unjustly forgotten such as Leonardo Vinci, Pasquale Anfossi, Antonio Sacchini, Nicola Vaccai, Leonardo Leo, Domenico Cimarosa or Vicente Martín y Soler among others.
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The Return of Gatti’s Aria
In the magnificent Max Joseph Hall of the Residenz München, tenor Daniel Behle performed the aria “Puoi vantar le tue ritorte” by Luigi Gatti, taken from his opera Nitteti. This concertante piece, for which we composed the cadenzas, was brought to life by the Salzburger Hofmusik orchestra under the direction of Wolfgang Brunner.
Quirino Gasparini’s Music Performed for the First Time
For the first time in modern history, Quirino Gasparini’s music has been performed. This concert, featuring arias from Mitridate and Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony, was conducted by Maestro Leonardo Muzii, with soprano Anastasiia Petrova.
Teaching Mozart at Bocconi University
We delivered a four-hour lecture on Mozart at Bocconi University, showcasing unpublished music by Gasparini, Gatti, and Tozzi while comparing textual and musical treatment with Mozart’s works. Unseen variants from Le Nozze di Figaro were also revealed.
New Revelations About Mozart at the Évora Forensic Conference
At the Évora Forensic Conference, new research confirmed that both Mozart’s personal catalogue and the signatures on his violin concertos are forgeries, challenging long-held beliefs.
Modern Premieres at Bayreuth
The modern premieres of Antonio Tozzi, Luigi Gatti, and Tommaso Traetta’s works at Bayreuth brought long-overlooked Italian composers back into the spotlight. These performances, transcribed and revised by Luca Bianchini and Anna Trombetta, have restored the place of these remarkable composers in music history.
Luchesi’s Concerto Revived at Milan’s Sala Verdi
A standing ovation followed the performance of our revised edition of Luchesi’s Concerto in F for piano and strings at the Sala Verdi in Milan, conducted by Maestro Giorgio Rodolfo Marini and performed by the Insubria Chamber Orchestra.