Nino Rota
About Nino Rota
If anyone reckons that all that I am attempting to express in my music is a little nostalgia and lots of humour and optimism, well that is exactly how I would like to be remembered. (Nino Rota)
Nino Rota was born in Milan on 3 December 1911. He gained a reputation as a child prodigy at the early age of twelve with the performance of the oratorio L’infanzia di San Giovanni Battista which he had composed four years previously. His pianist mother ensured that he received a solid musical education and Rota began studies at the Conservatory in Milan the very same year. In 1925/26, he composed the fairy tale opera Il principe porcaro based on a story by Hans Christian Andersen. Following his studies with Ildebrando Pizzetti, Rota went to Rome in 1926 where he studied at the Santa Cecilia conservatory with Alfredo Casella and received his diploma in piano and composition three years later. Following the recommendation of Arturo Toscanini, he subsequently studied composition (with Rosario Scalero) and conducting (with Fritz Reiner) at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia from1931 to1932. He made acquaintance with Aaron Copland and developed an interest in American folklore, major Hollywood films and the music of George Gershwin. On his return to Italy, he completed his doctoral thesis in 1937 on the 16th century musicologist Gioseffo Zarlino. Rota was appointed as professor at the Conservatory in Bari in 1939 and director of the same institute in 1950 (until 1977) where one of his most well-known pupils was Riccardo Muti. The composer’s lifelong collaboration with Federico Fellini began in 1952. Rota died in Rome on 10 April 1979; his extensive estate is supervised by the Fondazione Cini in Venice.
Rota attracted the attention of both public and press in the 1930s with chamber music and orchestral works. The composer was a notable imitator of older musical styles. In Rota’s symphonic works, it is the association with Romantic music in the style of Dvorák which particularly comes to the fore, whereas his fascination with Neo-Classical forms can be observed in his chamber music which at times displays a touch of parody.
Rota composed a total of 150 film scores which include compositions for outstanding classics such as Federico Fellini’s La dolce vita (1960), I clowns (1970), Amarcord (1973), Il Casanova di Federico Fellini (1976), Luchino Visconti’s Il Gattopardo (1963), Giulietta degli spiriti (1965) and Francis Coppola’s The Godfather (1972). Rota was ingenious in fulfilling the wishes of film directors, and the success of his film scores cannot merely be attributed to the composer’s extraordinary melodic concepts, but to an equal degree on the direct relationship of the music to the image. Music itself becomes the main theme in Prova d’orchestra (1979), Rota’s final collaboration with Fellini. The deterioration within the sphere of musical life becomes a caricature of modern society.
Rota’s output for concert hall and stage includes ten operas, 23 ballet and stage compositions, three symphonies, three concertos each for piano and cello and a substantial range of choral works and chamber music. The opera Aladino e la lampada magica (1963-65) based on the well-known fairy tale from the “Arabian Nights” received its first performance in Naples in 1968. The ballet suite Le Molière imaginaire (1976-78) is one of Rota’s last major compositions for music theatre. In addition to the film scores which exist in a large variety of arrangements ranging from piano solo to orchestra, it is primarily Rota’s chamber music works such as the Sonata en sol for viola and piano (1970) and the Trio for clarinet, cello and piano (1973) which are currently included in the concert repertoire of numerous musicians.
In 1973, Rota received both a Grammy Award and the Golden Globe for his film score for Coppola’s cinematic work of the century The Godfather. The composer also received an Oscar for the best film music for his score for Part II of The Godfather in 1975.
Worklist
Chronology
Products
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for piano four handsComposer: Nino RotaArranger: Simon BischofEdition: Performing scoreSeries: Edition Schott
15 preludi
Brand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: piano four handsProduct number: ED 23262Product TypeAs low as £25.50 -
for pianoComposer: Nino RotaSeries: Edition Schott
15 preludi
Brand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: pianoProduct number: ED 9386Product TypeAs low as £16.50 -
Love ThemeComposer: Nino RotaArranger: Robert LongfieldMedia Type: Sheet musicEdition: Score and partsSeries: Pop Specials for Strings
Brand: Hal Leonard
Instrumentation: string orchestraLanguage: EnglishProduct number: HL 04491003£44.50Not in stock, but can be ordered -
for saxophone and pianoComposer: Nino RotaSeries: Edition Schott
Allegro danzante
Brand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: alto saxophone and pianoProduct number: ED 21408Product TypeAs low as £8.50 -
Composer: Nino RotaMedia Type: E-score PDFBrand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: clarinet in Bb and pianoProduct number: ED 22073 Q42678£3.50available for download immediately -
for clarinet and pianoComposer: Nino RotaMedia Type: E-score PDFEdition: Score and partBrand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: clarinet in A or B and pianoProduct number: KLB 77 Q11686£8.50available for download immediately -
for mixed choir a cappellaComposer: Nino RotaEdition: Choral scoreSeries: Schott Choral Music
Audi Judex
Brand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: mixed choir (SATB)Product number: C 49555Product TypeAs low as £4.50 -
Canzone sacra per coro di bambini, violino, viola, violoncello e organoComposer: Nino RotaEdition: Choral part, with organ partSeries: Edition Schott
Ave Maria
Brand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: children's choir (S), violin, viola, cello and organProduct number: ED 21726-01Product TypeAs low as £4.50 -
Canzone sacra per coro di bambini, violino, viola, violoncello e organoComposer: Nino RotaEdition: PartiturSeries: Edition Schott
Ave Maria
Brand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: children's choir (S), violin, viola, cello and organProduct number: ED 21726Product TypeAs low as £7.60 Regular Price £9.50 -
for pianoComposer: Nino RotaSeries: Edition Schott
Brand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: pianoProduct number: ED 9827Product TypeAs low as £5.50 -
to the concerto for piano and orchestra in G Major Hob. XVIII:4Composer: Joseph Haydn | Nino RotaSeries: Cadenza , Vol. 3
Brand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: pianoProduct number: ED 9901Product TypeAs low as £7.99 -
of the concerto for flute, harp and orchestra KV 299Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Nino RotaEdition: Set of solo partsSeries: Cadenza , Vol. 2
Brand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: flute and harpProduct number: ED 9671Product TypeAs low as £9.50 -
for chant, trumpet, guitar and organComposer: Nino RotaEdition: Performing scoreBrand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: soprano or tenor, trumpet in C, guitar and organProduct number: ED 9271Product TypeAs low as £8.50 -
for children's or women's choir (SMezA) and organComposer: Nino RotaEdition: PartiturSeries: Schott Choral Music
Brand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: choir (SA), (SMezA) and organProduct number: C 57828Product TypeAs low as £7.99 -
Riduzione per pianoforte a quattro mani dell’autoreComposer: Nino RotaEditor: Rodolfo Alessandrini | Sara BartolucciEdition: Performing scoreSeries: Edition Schott
Brand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: piano (4 hands)Product number: ED 21374Product TypeAs low as £21.50 -
per violoncello e orchestraComposer: Nino RotaEdition: Piano reduction with solo partBrand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: cello and orchestraProduct number: CB 293Product TypeAs low as £34.00 -
for violoncello and orchestraComposer: Nino RotaEdition: Study scoreBrand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: cello and orchestraProduct number: ED 22591Product TypeAs low as £26.80 -
for violoncello and orchestraComposer: Nino RotaEdition: Piano reduction with solo partBrand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: cello and orchestraProduct number: CB 264Product TypeAs low as £19.19 -
female chorus (SA) and organComposer: Nino RotaEdition: Choral scoreSeries: Schott Choral Music
Brand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: female choir (SA) and organProduct number: C 53604Product TypeAs low as £3.50 -
for mixed choir a cappellaComposer: Nino RotaEdition: Choral scoreSeries: Schott Choral Music
Due Mottetti
Brand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: mixed choirProduct number: C 49556Product TypeAs low as £3.50 -
for pianoComposer: Nino RotaEdition: Separate editionSeries: Edition Schott
Brand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: pianoProduct number: ED 22707Product TypeAs low as £7.99 -
Composer: Nino RotaMedia Type: Sheet musicSeries: ABRSM Oboe Grade 7 (from 2022)
Brand: Alphonse Leduc
Instrumentation: Oboe and PianoProduct number: AL21646£9.50Not in stock, but can be ordered -
for pianoComposer: Nino RotaSeries: Edition Schott
Brand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: pianoProduct number: ED 9648Product TypeAs low as £9.50 -
for three women's voicesComposer: Nino RotaEdition: Choral scoreSeries: Schott Choral Music
Brand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: 3 female voices (S)Product number: C 57825Product TypeAs low as £5.50 -
Quartetto d'archi con voce (S/A) su parole popolari toscaneComposer: Nino RotaEdition: Score and partsSeries: Edition Schott
Brand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: women's voice and string quartetProduct number: ED 9272Product TypeAs low as £14.50 -
for soprano and string quintetComposer: Nino RotaEdition: Score and partsSeries: Edition Schott
Brand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: soprano and string quintetProduct number: ED 20874Product TypeAs low as £14.50 -
Taken from the film "Amanti senza amore" (1947)Composer: Nino RotaEditor: Nicola ScardicchioSeries: Edition Schott
Violin Library
Brand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: violin and pianoProduct number: VLB 95Product TypeAs low as £6.80 -
for voice and pianoComposer: Nino RotaEdition: Separate editionSeries: Edition Schott
Brand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: soprano or tenor and pianoProduct number: ED 21452Product TypeAs low as £15.50 -
6 variazioni e 3 suggestioni per clarinetto soloComposer: Nino RotaSeries: Edition Schott
Clarinet Library
Brand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: clarinet in BbProduct number: KLB 61Product TypeAs low as £6.99 -
Mottetto per soprano (o tenore) solo, coro di donne (SSAA) e organoComposer: Nino RotaEdition: PartiturSeries: Schott Choral Music
Brand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: soprano (or tenor) solo, choir (SA) and organProduct number: C 55097Product TypeAs low as £5.50 -
for mixed choir (SATB) a cappellaComposer: Nino RotaEdition: PartiturSeries: Schott Choral Music
Brand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: mixed choir (SATB) a cappellaProduct number: C 57625Product TypeAs low as £5.99 -
for mixed choir with 3 voices (STB) and organComposer: Nino RotaEdition: PartiturSeries: Schott Choral Music
Messa breve
Brand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: mixed choir (STB) and organProduct number: C 52578Product TypeAs low as £7.99 -
for men's choire with 4 voices (TTBB) and organComposer: Nino RotaEdition: PartiturSeries: Schott Choral Music
Messa breve
Brand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: men's choir (TTBB) and organProduct number: C 52579Product TypeAs low as £7.99 -
for organ and voices (SATB)Composer: Nino RotaArranger: Jonathan HirshEdition: Performing scoreSeries: Edition Schott
Brand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: organ and mixed choir (SATB)Product number: ED 23707Product TypeAs low as £22.99 -
dal balletto "Le Molière imaginaire"Composer: Nino RotaSeries: Edition Schott
Brand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: pianoProduct number: ED 21659Product TypeAs low as £9.50 -
Composer: Nino RotaMedia Type: Sheet music with CDEdition: Tune book, Great Musicians SeriesBrand: Edition Carisch
Instrumentation: pianoProduct number: ML 2665£24.50Not in stock, but can be ordered -
Suite for pianoComposer: Nino RotaEdition: Separate editionSeries: Edition Schott
Brand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: pianoProduct number: ED 22891Product TypeAs low as £16.99 -
Canzone sacra per coro di bambini (SMezA)Composer: Nino RotaEdition: Choral scoreSeries: Schott Choral Music
Brand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: children's choir or female choir (SMezA)Product number: C 55096Product TypeAs low as £2.99 -
Domine, ne in furore · Jubilate Deo omnis terraComposer: Nino RotaSeries: Edition Schott
Brand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: mezzo-soprano and organProduct number: ED 20267Product TypeAs low as £6.99 -
Composer: Nino RotaEdition: Score and partsSeries: Edition Schott
Brand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: string quartetProduct number: ED 9273Product TypeAs low as £32.50 -
Music to a radio play based on the novel Rock Crystal by Adalbert StifterComposer: Nino RotaEditor: Rodolfo Alessandrini | Sara BartolucciSeries: Edition Schott
Brand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: piano (4 hands)Product number: ED 21391Product TypeAs low as £16.50 -
Composer: Nino RotaMedia Type: Sheet musicBrand: Hal Leonard
Instrumentation: PianoProduct number: IM 3796£4.19Not in stock, but can be ordered -
for mezzo-soprano and pianoComposer: Nino RotaSeries: Edition Schott
Brand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: mezzo-soprano and pianoProduct number: ED 21453Product TypeAs low as £5.50 -
for mezzo-soprano and organComposer: Nino RotaSeries: Edition Schott
Salve Regina
Brand: Schott Music
Instrumentation: mezzo-soprano and organProduct number: ED 20633Product TypeAs low as £5.99