Michele Esposito

Biography

Michele Esposito (29 September 1855 – 19 November 1929) was an Italian composer, conductor and pianist who spent most of his professional life in Dublin, Ireland.

Training

Esposito was born at Castellamare di Stabia, near Sorrento. As a boy, he entered the conservatory of Naples as a piano pupil of Beniamino Cesi (1845–1907, himself a favourite pupil of Thalberg), and studied composition there for 8 years under Paolo Serrao (1830–1907, teacher of Francesco Cilea and others). He was a near-contemporary of Giuseppe Martucci, and a few years the senior of Alessandro Longo, both taught by these teachers. In 1878, he went to Paris for several years.
In 1879, he married Natalia Klebnikoff (1857–1944), who hailed from St Petersburg. They had four children, including the noted scholar Mario Esposito.

Teacher, pianist and conductor

Esposito became chief pianoforte professor at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in 1882, and remained there for more than forty years, devoting himself to the encouragement of classical music in Dublin. He inaugurated the Royal Dublin Society chamber-music recitals, with great success, and gave piano recitals for the Society every year. He established the Dublin Orchestral Society in 1898 and was its conductor until its disbandment in 1914, and he was also the conductor of the Sunday Orchestral Concerts until they were discontinued in 1914. He conducted concerts of the London Symphony Orchestra at Woodbrook in 1913 and 1914, and also performed his piano concerto with them under the baton of Hamilton Harty. Together with Sir Stanley Cochrane, he founded the music publishing company "C. E. Edition". In the year before his death, he returned to Italy and died in Florence.

Composer

Esposito received awards from the Feis Ceoil for his cantata Deirdre, his Irish Symphony and his String Quartet in D major. His Cello Sonata won a prize from the London Incorporated Society of Musicians in 1899. His Violin Sonata in E minor gained a prize offered by La Société Nouvelle, Paris, in 1907, and his String Quartet in C minor won another offered by the Accademia Filarmonica di Bologna.

Recordings

Ballades, Op. 59; Alla memoria di Vincenzo Bellini, Op. 16; 5 excerpts from My Irish Sketch Book, Op. 71; Preludes 1, 5, 2, 4, 9 from Nove preludi, Op. 72; Impromptu, Op. 62; Three Pieces, Op. 61; A Village Fête, Op. 64; Nocturne, Valse, Rêverie (from Suite, Op. 34, vol. 2); Remembrance, Op. 63; Visione (from Album, Op. 7). Recorded by Míċeál O'Rourke (piano), on: Esposito: Works for Piano, Chandos CHAN 9675 (CD, 1998).
Though the Last Glimpse of Erin from Two Irish Melodies, Op. 39; and Appassionato from Ballades, Op. 59 (no. 1). Recorded by Una Hunt (piano), on: Fallen Leaves from an Irish Album, RTÉ lyric fm CD 109 (CD, 2006).
Violin Sonatas, Opp. 32, 46, and 67, and Cello Sonata, Op. 43. Recorded by Mia Cooper (violin), William Butt (cello) and Lance Coburn (piano), on: Champs Hill Records CHRCD 066 (CD, 2013).
Violin Sonatas, Opp. 32, 46, and 67; Irish Rhapsody No. 1, Op. 51; Irish Rhapsody No. 2, Op. 54; nos. 2, 3, 5 from Five Irish Melodies, Op. 56; no. 2 from Two Irish Airs, Op. 57. Performed by Carmelo Andreani (violin) & Vincenzo Maltempo (piano), on Brilliant Classics 95102 (double CD, 2015).