Who is Ponchielli?

Who is Ponchielli, you ask? Well that is a very good question considering he is NOT one of the most well-known composers of the 1800s. However, as we shall soon see, you might be surprised how important he was to modern music. But first, let's start with a piece he originally wrote as a finale to his opera La Gioconda called the "Dance of the Hours."

Born in Italy, Amilcare Ponchielli (1834-1886) was a musical prodigy who earned a scholarship to attend Milan Conservatory at the age of 9. By 10 he had already composed his first symphony, although it was his operas that earned him his fame.

Throughout his lifetime, Ponchielli was actually quite popular and very influential, although only one of his operas is regularly performed today. It was Ponchielli who introduced an enlarged orchestra and more complex orchestration to the rest of the world.

Optional Movement Activity: The Dance of the Hours is actually often performed as a ballet. Today, make up your own dance movements to go along with this piece. Create movements in groups of 8 beats. For example, try walking forward for 8 beats and then backward for 8 beats, then raising your right hand for 8 beats and then your left hand for the next 8 beats. What kind of creative dance can you make using different 8-beat patterns?