The Italian-American Musical Experience. A Journey from Busoni to Berio, LIM, Lucca 2023. A review. Sonic Bridges between Italy and the United States: Valentina Bensi's contribution to transoceanic musicology
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: In the volume The Italian-American Musical Experience. A Journey from Busoni to Berio (LIM, 2023), Valentina Bensi explores the phenomenon of Italian musical migration to the United States between the 19th and 20th centuries, tracing the paths of eight Italian composers from Busoni to Berio who, for artistic or political reasons, moved to the U.S. Introduced by Harvey Sachs, the book offers an engaging and richly documented narrative that weaves together cultural history, biography, and musical analysis.Bensi highlights how these musicians not only integrated into the American context but also deeply influenced it, contributing to the development of the U.S. musical scene as performers, composers, and educators. Among the featured figures are well-known names such as Toscanini, Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Dallapiccola, and Berio, as well as less-known figures like Scalero, teacher of Barber, Menotti, and Rota.The author shows that, despite individual differences, the migratory experience proved fertile and transformative for all. The volume stands out for its scholarly rigor, stylistic elegance, and accessible tone, making it suitable for both specialists and general readers. Thanks to its extensive critical apparatus and use of epistolary sources, the book offers a major contribution to 20th-century musicology, shedding light on a little-explored chapter in the cultural relations between Italy and the United States.
Author: Salvatore Sclafani
Language: English
Subfield: Music
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4412674144