Alfredo Casella (b.1883 in Turin – d. 1947 in Rome, Italy), born and raised in a family of musicians, was a child piano prodigy. He received his first piano lessons from his mother and at the age of thirteen entered Conservatoire de Paris to study piano and composition. His teachers were Louis Diémer (piano) and Gabriel Fauré (composition), and his fellow student was Maurice Ravel. At that time, Paris was the musical hub for established and aspiring European and American composers who inspired Casella, such as Claude Debussy, Richard Strauss, Gustav Mahler and Igor Stravinsky. His early symphonies show their influence, but he established a more personal style in his later works. Casella returned to Italy during World War I and in 1917 founded the National Society of Music to help revive interest in early Italian music and promote contemporary music. He is known for his romantic style ballets and chamber music and in 1930s became one of the most famous pianists of his generation. Of great importance is his teaching and editing work, in particular of pieces for pianoforte such as Mozart’s and Beethoven’s sonatas, which formed the musical taste and performance style of generations of not only Italian players.

Sicilienne et Burlesque for flute and piano, composed in 1914, is an ensemble of two contrasting movements with lyrical and technical challenges. As a piece for the Conservatoire de Paris annual flute contest, the piece follows the formula of slow and lyrical opening to be followed by a fast and technically demanding section. While applying the French competition formula, Casella distinguishes himself from his Parisian colleagues by choosing Italian forms of ‘siciliana’ and ‘burlesca.’ ‘Siciliana’ is a slow pastoral dance using slow triple meter, popular in the Baroque era. It begins with a gentle, nostalgic melody garnished with dotted rhythm which develops into a burst of emotions to finally close without really settling. ‘Burlesca’ sources its inspiration in sixteenth century Italian theatre Commedia dell’arte and offers a joyous and bouncy start. It continues with a repetitive melody, to continue with exaggerating dynamics and abrupt shifts of mood requiring advanced flute techniques and intricate interplay between flute and piano. From the piano part transpires the influence of Stravinsky, making this enjoyable and challenging piece a unique multinational musical concoction.