TRIESTE – Bruno Morpurgo’s Symphony No. 19 premiered at the synagogue

Bruno Morpurgo (1875-1917), a Viennese composer with Trieste roots who died during the Great War, was “as great as he was little known”. Trieste conductor Davide Casali has launched a project to promote the work of this talented Jewish artist who was a pupil of Robert Fuchs — a teacher of Gustav Mahler, Jean Sibelius, Richard Strauss, Alexander Zemlinsky and Erich Korngold.

On October 6, the project arrived at the monumental synagogue in Trieste for the world premiere of Morpurgo’s Symphony Op. 19, performed by the Abimà Orchestra and the Giuseppe Verdi Civic Wind Orchestra, in the presence of the composer’s grandson, Helmut Morpurgo. “He provided me with his manuscripts a few years ago. I then rearranged the scores and arranged for the piece to be performed,” says Casali. 

The project to rediscover and promote the Viennese musician will continue with other initiatives. “For example, we are working on a CD, followed by a book in Italian and English, which I will edit with the scholar Gloria Pilastro.” The composer’s music will also be made available online for everyone to access on the website of the Trieste Jewish Museum. The evening was introduced by the vice president of the Jewish Community, Davide Belleli.

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