• Name: Alfredo Catalani
• Birthday: 06/19/1854
• Birth Place: Lucca, Italy
• Died: 08/07/1893
• Place of Death: Milan, Italy
• Country: Italy
• Period: Post-Romantic
• Genre: Classical

Title	Release
Romanza, song for voice & piano
(5) A sera, in Paganini, for piano (also arr. for string quartet)	1994
A una stella, song for voice & piano	1993
Aspirazione (pensiero in the form of a waltz), for piano	1994
(2) Chanson groëlandaise, song for voice & piano in E minor	1993
(3) Contemplazione, for orchestra in B flat major (also arr. for piano)	1994
(3) Dejanice, opera (dramma lirico) in 4 acts
(2) Edmea, opera in 3 acts	1989
Eleganza, capriccio-mazurka for piano	1994
Ero e Leandro, symphonic poem for orchestra	1990
Extase!, for 4 voices in E flat minor	1991
Fior di collina, for voice & piano	1993
(2) Il m'aimait tant, romance for voice & piano	1993
(2) Il sogno, melody for piano in A flat major (also arr. for violin & piano) (from "Impressioni")	1994
In riva al mare, barcarolle for voice & piano in A minor	1993
(2) L'odalisque, oriental canzone for voice & piano in G sharp minor	1993
(3) La falce, opera in 1 act	1991
La pescatrice, song for voice & piano	1993
La primavera, for 4 voices & orchestra in A flat major	1991
La viola, for voice & piano	1993
(343) La Wally, opera (dramma musicale) in 4 acts	1954
(2) Le gondolier, song for voice & piano	1993
(61) Loreley, opera (azione romantica) in 3 acts	1952
Mass for 4 voices & orchestra	1985
Notturno, for piano in G sharp minor	1994
O rea Gomorra, o Sodoma perversa, for voice & orchestra	1993
Ricordo di Lugano, barcarola for piano in F minor	1994
(2) Scherzo for orchestra in A major (also arr. for piano)	1997
Scherzo-tarantella, for piano in A major	1994
Se tu sapessi, melody for piano	1994
(2) Senza baci, melody for voice & piano	1993
Serenata, for piano, 4 hands in F major	1995
Serenatella, for string quartet in D major	1990
Sinfonia in F major, for chamber orchestra	1990
(2) Sognai, song for voice & piano	1993
(2) Sotto le tue finestra (Serenatella), for piano in D major (also arr. for string quartet) (from "Impressioni")	1995
String Quartet in A minor	1995
Tempo di valzer (alla Tedesca), for piano, 4 hands	1995
Variazioni su "Nel cor più non mi sento" di G. Paisiello, for voice & continuo
Variazioni su "Sul margine d'un rio", for voice & continuo

Alfredo Catalani created richly romantic operas intended to create a synthesis of Wagnerian opera and Italian operatic tradition.

Lucca was home to two established musical families, the Puccinis and the Catalanis. Alfredo was born four years ahead of Giacomo Puccini. He and young Puccini both studied music, as boys, with Fortunato Magi, Puccini's uncle. Catalani's progress was rapid, and he was sent to Paris where he studied with Bazin, though he did not enroll at the Paris Conservatory. He returned to Lucca in 1873 to report for military service, but was rejected due to tuberculosis. He went to Naples to study with Antonio Bazzini. Bazzini introduced him to the salon of Clara Maffei, which was frequented by young artists, musicians, and literary figures like Arrigo Boito and Franco Faccio. They introduced him to Wagner's music, which made a large impression on him. Ignoring the developing trend of verismo opera, Catalani emulated Wagner in choosing, often, tales of the fantastic, with dramatic action. He received a commission from publisher Giovannina Lucca. The result, Elda, was based on the -Lorelei legend and published in 1876 and performed in Turin with lukewarm results. Dejanice, the next opera, premiered in 1883 and did poorly.

Catalani was already in declining health due to his tuberculosis, and suffering from guilt over having an affair with his best friend's wife. He roused himself from depression to write a symphonic poem, Hero and Leander. Its success in 1885 gave him new confidence, and he wrote a successful opera, Edmea, premiered at La Scala in 1886. The same year he was appointed professor of composition, at the Milan Conservatory to succeed Ponchielli.

Giovannina Lucca's publishing firm had been promoting his career, but it merged with the more powerful Ricordi firm. Ricordi was promoting Giacomo Puccini's career, and neglected Catalani, seriously damaging his prospects. He hired the composer Zanardi to carry out his planned revisions to Elda. Catalani got no support from Ricordi, and had to arrange for a performance himself. Retitled Loreley, the opera was given on February 16, 1890, in Turin, and was a success.

During this time, Catalani had been devoting his dwindling strength to writing a new opera, La Wally, based on a German romance. The conductor Mascheroni realized that the success of Loreley might make Ricordi more receptive to this new opera. Though Catalani was embittered by his treatment by the firm, Mascheroni brought about a reconciliation. Ricordi accepted the work and promoted it, securing a La Scala premiere on January 20, 1892. It was a huge success, particularly after it was adopted by Arturo Toscanini, who conducted it widely and even named his daughter "Wally." Catalani is remembered today almost entirely for La Wally. He started another opera, based on a Tolstoy text, but soon after starting work suffered a hemorrhage, and died five days later. ~ Joseph Stevenson, All Music Guide