Martina Colli and Rossella Rubini - Marinuzzi: Piano Works (2012)

This CD is the first of a complete edition gathering together the piano works of 20th century Italian composer Gino Maruzzini, Jr. It includes world premiere recordings of the Partita for two pianos, the Divertimento on a traditional Theme for piano 4 hands, and the unedited Lagerlieder. The latter piece for piano 4 hands was written during World War II while he was incarcerated at the Ludwigshafen concentration camp. The performers are the pianists Marino Colli and Rossella Rubin.

Son of the conductor and composer Gino Marinuzzi, Gino Marinuzzi Jr, was born in New York during April 1920 whilst his father was on tour in the USA. As a good piano player and a brilliant student, he started composing mainly piano music before graduating as a composer. He wrote his first major work, the Concertino for piano, oboe, saxophone and string ensemble, at the age of 16. From 1943 to 1944 Marinuzzi was imprisoned in Ludwigshafen Nazi concentration camp, where he wrote the Lagerlieder for piano 4 hands, a work discovered by his students only years later. He moved to Rome in 1946 and went on to write music for radio, television and cinema, whilst teaching in the Conservatoire “S. Cecilia”. He died there in November 1996.