He had passed theintervention to recover the use of the hands and go back to playing the piano. But in the hospital she contracted one pneumonia which struck him down at the age of 79 years old.
Maestro Michele Paradiso passed away this morning at the age of 79
He passed away at 5 this morning, Saturday 4 May, at the “Sandro Pertini” hospital in Rome Michele Paradiso, Italian composer of sacred chamber and orchestral music, Rai collaborator and author of music for documentaries, resident at Villa Adriana for over half a century.
Michele Paradiso was the composer of many works of sacred chamber and orchestral music
The composer’s funeral will be celebrated on Monday 6 May at 11.30 am in Church of the Artists in Rome in the presence of the musicians of the Santa Cecilia Conservatory.
Maestro Michele Paradiso and his wife, the well-known sculptor and painter Stefania Guidi
The news of Michele Paradiso’s passing moved the inhabitants of Hadrian’s Villawhere the Master lived in a Strada San Salvatore estate together with the love of her life, the 94-year-old well-known sculptor and painter Stefania Guidiheir to the Marche family of Marchesi Guidi Giovanissima, his wife since 1978.
The hands of the two artists, united in marriage in 1978 and resident at Villa Adriana for over half a century
An immense estate, bordering Emperor Hadrian’s Villa, which oozes culturewith a concert hall for Michele and an art laboratory for Stefania, which houses over 8 thousand pages of scores and hundreds of sculptures.
Michele Paradiso is known for “Canticle of Frate Sole” and “Magnificat”, performed in Assisi in 1995
With Michele Paradiso goes an internationally recognized intellectual known for “Song of Brother Sun” And “Magnificat”performed both ad Assisi in 1995 in the Upper Basilica of San Francesco, for “The Temptations”performed in Rome in 1996 at Palazzo della Cancelleria, and for “Galileo” performed in Pisa in 1997.
In 1990 Michele Paradiso and his wife Stefania presented the Pope with a portrait medal
Moments that the Master loved to tell stories to the many people he received at his home, where he held concerts for years.
At least until he got hit by one vertebral stenosis which had forced him into a wheelchair, preventing him from expressing himself on the piano again.
For this reason, on April 24th he underwent a treatment surgery in Arezzo, on April 28th he returned to his estate at Villa Adriana and started slowly playing the first notes again. But pneumonia contracted in hospital worsened his condition until he died this morning.
Michele Paradiso was born in 1945 Sant’Eramo in Colle in the province of Bari and after graduating from high school he moved to Rome attending the faculty of philosophy at the “Gregorian” University And “Wisdom”.
A young Michele Paradiso in 1969 together with the poet Giuseppe Ungaretti
From a young age he often stayed in Milan where he was assiduous at Stairs and where he met the poet Giuseppe Ungarettiof whom he became a friend and personal secretary.
The first concert as an instrumentalist dates back to 1969with a presentation written by his friend Giuseppe Ungaretti, to whom in 1992 will dedicate the setting to music of ten poems by the poet for soprano, contralto and baritone, taken from “The Joy” and the “Old Man’s Notebook”.
Passionate about Bach, he performed numerous organ concerts.
Maestro Michele Paradiso during a concert in 1989
A fruitful and versatile composer, he wrote numerous musical works: 14 nocturnes for piano (1972), some motets of sacred music for organ (1973), 14 preludes for piano (1973), i ballets for orchestra: Ibis, Prometeo, Giorno di Festa, Pervirgilium Veneris (1974), Orfeo (1978), Pan (1979) Villa Adriana, Villa d’Este, Sperlonga (1980-1981), La Missa Mater Dei for soloists and orchestra (1988) .
The 1995 Easter Concert in the Upper Basilica of Assisi with the Rome Philharmonic Orchestra
Maestro Michele Paradiso conducted for the Easter concert 1995 in the Upper Basilica of Assisiwith I Filarmonici di Roma, two world premiere works: “Magnificat” And “Song of Brother Sun”.
Michele Paradiso during a concert in 2008
In 1996 he completed the Requiem for soloists, choir and orchestra. On 31 January 1996 in the Aula Magna of the Palazzo della Cancelleria in Rome he presented and conducted the world premiere with I Filarmonici di Roma “The Temptations”oratorio for soloists, choir and orchestra (text by Michele Colagiovanni) e “To research”concert for violin and orchestra, soloist Maryse Regard.
Stefania Guidi paints while her husband Michele Paradiso’s concert is broadcast on TV
In May 1996, in the Upper Basilica of Assisi, he re-proposed “Magnificat” and “Canticle of Frate Sole”, but in the definitive version for soprano, choir and orchestra, and performed the world premiere “Benedicat tibi Dominus”for soprano, choir and orchestra, e “Hail Domina”cantata for soprano, choir and orchestra on poetic texts by Saint Francis.
Michele Paradiso and Stefania Guidi happy together: gold was a great love that lasted half a century
In April 1997, at the Auditorium of the Università Cattolica AS, he performed the “Spring” by Vivaldi, “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” Of Mozart and in the first place “Ibis”for piano and orchestra.
He collaborated for the School Education Department and for Videosapere of RAI of Rome, and has created original music for various documentaries.
Started in November 1996, it was completed on 13 February 1997 “Galileo”oratorio for soloists, choir, piano and orchestra (freely based on Galileo Galilei by Michele Colagiovanni) and conducted its first performance on 3 October 1997 in the National Church of Santo Stefano dei Cavalieri in the city of Pisa.
Cultured and punctual musicologist, Michele Paradiso has dedicated his time to the study of music in its historical totality.
July 7, 2002 was nominated Academician of Honor by the “Accademia del Desco d’Oro” of Tivoli For “the demonstrated sharing of academic goals and objectives and in light of the commitment made in enhancing friendship through the very high expressions achieved in musical art”.
