Antonio Rostagno

Ottavio Ziino, composer and conductor (Marco Mazzè Alessi, editor)

Abstract

This article discusses the main orchestral works by Palermo-born Ottavio Ziino (1909–1995), including symphonies (Sinfonia all'italiana, Sinfonia in IV tempi, and Sinfonia Melbourne), variations, and fugues. Its aim is, on the one hand, to place Ziino's output within the frame of the tumultuous changes Italian music underwent at the end of World War II; and, on the other hand, to contemplate part of that history through the eyes of a conductor who was very attentive to contemporary issues. Ziino's activity as a composer, in fact, derived from the knowledge acquired from performance practice, and the development of his language is an enlightening testimony to some key stages of 20^th-century Italian orchestral music.