Decisamente allegro (2022)

for full orchestra

Broadcasted by ARTE Germany
Broadcasted by ARTE France
Available on RaiPlay

Browse the score on Issuu.

Composer’s note

Musicians all over the world know this well: Allegro is an agogic indication, which is placed between Moderato and Presto, and therefore indicates at what speed a piece should be performed. In the Italian language, however, “allegro” also has another meaning, of very common use: it is an adjective that means joyful, happy; in a good mood.

The title of this score is, accordingly, a word game, because in this case Decisamente allegro means both that the music must be performed at a certain speed and that the mood suggested to the performers and listeners is that of happiness, joy and contentment.

Commissioned in 2021 by Riccardo Chailly and the Filarmonica della Scala on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of its foundation, Decisamente allegro is a piece that I composed with an enormous pleasure; and, after all, it’s a declaration of love for the symphony orchestra, one of the most powerful, fascinating and perfect creations of Western culture.

Nicola Campogrande, January, 2022

Rehearsals with Riccardo Chailly and Filarmonica della Scala
Milan, June 2022
Photo: Gianluca Munari

Instrumentation

picc.2.2.cor ang.2.B-clar.2.dble bsn-4.3.2.B-tbne.1-timp.perc(4)-2 hp-cel-str

Details

Duration 8′

Commission
Filarmonica della Scala
on the occasion of its
40th anniversary

World Premiere
Milano (Italy)
June 12, 2022
Filarmonica della Scala
Riccardo Chailly (cond)

Published by
Breitkopf & Härtel
MM 2311121

Performances

Decisamente allegro

March 6, 2025 - March 8, 2025

The Kennedy Center, Washington (USA)

National Symphony Orchestra
Gianandrea Noseda (cond)
USA Premiere

Decisamente allegro

June 6, 2024

Sibiu, Thalia Hall (Romania)

Filarmonica de Stat Sibiu
Alessandro Crudele (cond)
Romanian Premiere

Decisamente allegro

April 28, 2023

Bologna, Auditorium Manzoni (Italy)

Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna
Dayner Tafur-Díaz (cond)

June 22, 2022