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Carlo Savina, 1919-2002
Composer, arranger and conductor Carlo Savina died in Rome on June 21, 2002, at the age of 82.
One of the most prolific and versatile figures in Italian film music, Savina worked on more than 200 films as composer, conductor or musical director. Although his own scores encompassed everything from comedy and drama to spaghetti westerns and horror, he was equally important as a trusted conductor for composers including Nino Rota, Miklós Rózsa, Philippe Sarde and Stephen Sondheim.
Savina was born in Turin on August 29, 1919, into a musical family. His father was principal clarinetist with the EIAR radio orchestra and introduced him to music at an early age. Savina studied violin, piano, composition and conducting at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory in Turin, and in 1944 received his diploma in composition. His early concert works included sonatas, chamber pieces and the opera Il vecchio geloso, which won a prize from the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in 1948.
After the Second World War Savina became increasingly active in radio and popular music. He formed his own orchestra, wrote songs and arrangements, and became a prominent conductor for RAI, participating in some of Italian television’s earliest experimental broadcasts. His polished orchestral style and ability to move easily between classical and popular idioms soon led him toward cinema. Read more…
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