A GUIDE TO ROBERTO PIANA’S 25 PRELUDI PITTORICI

Guan, Yarong

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/130439 Copy

Description

Title

A GUIDE TO ROBERTO PIANA’S 25 PRELUDI PITTORICI

Author(s)

Guan, Yarong

Issue Date

2025

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Robards, Casey

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Robards, Casey

Committee Member(s)

• Ehlen, Timothy
• Wu, Chi-Chen
• Hagan, Kerry

Department of Study

School of Music

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

A.Mus.D. (doctoral)

Date of Ingest

2025-12-08T12:40:21-06:00

Keyword(s)

• Roberto Piana
• 25 Preludi Pittorici
• 25 Pictorial Preludes
• Visual Art and Music
• Piano Performance
• Musical Analysis
• Golden Ratio
• Contemporary

Language

eng

Abstract

This essay explores the life and musical contributions of Italian composer and pianist Roberto Piana, with a particular focus on his cycle 25 Preludi Pittorici. Focusing on twenty-five paintings from the eighteenth to twentieth centuries, Piana creates a musical gallery that transforms art into sound. The study first contextualizes Piana’s career and artistic influences. An analysis then examines the correlation between selected paintings and their corresponding preludes, highlighting how musical gestures reflect visual characteristics and narrative atmosphere. Attention is also given to the symbolic role of the sea, a recurring element tied to the composer’s Sardinian identity, and his use of symbolic structures such as the golden ratio. Through this synthesis of biography, analysis, the essay situates Piana’s Preludi Pittorici within the broader tradition of music inspired by the visual arts, while underscoring its unique contemporary voice.

Type of Resource

text

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2025 Yarong Guan

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