Giuseppe Martucci e il Conservatorio di Napoli

«The works that Martucci left behind are entirely in accordance with his teaching and conducting activities», wrote Duke Ernesto Del Balzo to the Minister of Public Education, Luigi Rava, in a long and passionate letter that expressed all the feelings of farewell and melancholy that the Governor of the Royal Neapolitan Conservatory of Music immediately felt the day after the death of the Capuan composer. The minuta of this correspondence is one of the most intense witnesses preserved in the Historical Archive of the Conservatorio San Pietro a Majella, where there is a folder dedicated to Giuseppe Martucci. There, a dedicated folder for Giuseppe Martucci, labeled number 9, is divided into two sub-files. The present work, carried out in collaboration with some young students of the two-year course in Historical, Critical, and Analytical Disciplines of Music at the Conservatorio Giuseppe Martucci in Salerno, aims to decipher, read, transcribe, and analyze these files. It seems that the entire corpus of the works discussed here has never been carefully studied in its entirety, based on the bibliography consulted so far.

Regarding the examined documents, the 200 sheets, corresponding to 153 documents of various kinds, are in good condition. Almost all of them are readable, providing an idea of the context of reference. Only a few contain dubious words that are difficult to understand. Only a few documents are incomplete, mostly minutes intended for later copies. The file contains Requests for leave of absence, confidential reports on the monitoring of the composer’s work with a view to awarding him honours and commissions, accounting documents relating to the years of his directorship, constant exchanges with the Ministry of Public Education − General Directorate of Antiquities and Fine Arts, numerous communications with the Duke of Del Balzo, a dense network of information that follows the course of Martucci’s illness, information on the various competitions announced to fill teaching positions at the Neapolitan Conservatory, and other documents that outline the profile of a professional considered to be authoritative, both for his artistic-musical merits and for his didactic and institutional ones.

The analysis and transcription of these documents, in addition to constituting an easily accessible source for future research, help deepen the profile of the composer, especially regarding his activity as a teacher and conductor. It also makes it possible to reconstruct the evolution of important events that are only partially described in other bibliographical sources. It also allows us to delve into a series of relationships that have contributed to the definition of the social prestige of Giuseppe Martucci. This prestige was reinforced by his association with various musical personalities, all of whom contributed to the public recognition of the musician’s authority. This recognition is also acknowledged by political figures and contemporary institutional representatives.