Bonaventura Somma

Bonaventura Somma ( Chianciano Terme 30 July 1893Rome 23 October 1960) was an Italian Romantic composer, conductor and organist. Life Bonaventura Somma was born in Chianciano Terme - small town located in the province of Siena, on July 30, 1893. As a young man he attended the conservatory in Rome, where he was trained in music, having been a student of various modern composers including Ottorino Respighi. After finishing his studies, he became a professor for many years at the Conservatory of Santa Cecilia in Rome and directed the Choirs of the “Augusteo” for several years. Always in Rome, he founded the Polyphonic Choir of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia, in which he was permanent director until end of his life. He also worked with the most important conductors and composers of his time (Karajan, Toscanini, Perosi, etc.). For many years he was director of the Musical Chapel of San Luigi dei Francesi. Choirs * Requiem Mass * Pentecost * Hail Mary * Symphony and Variations Revisions and transcripts Somma carried out an intense activity of transcription and revision of XVI to XVII century scores for choir, including several Palestrina’s Masses and Madrigal works by Banchieri stand out