Born in Rome in 1841, Sgambati began playing the piano at the age of five. He first met Liszt in 1862 and before long had become both his pupil and friend. The two travelled to Germany in 1869 and there Sgambati first encountered the music of Wagner and, indeed, the man himself. So impressed was Wagner with Sgambati’s compositions that he immediately recommended them to his own publisher, Schott. The
Serenata napoletana is the second of two pieces Op 24, originally composed for violin and piano.
from notes by Peter Avis © 2011
