Most well remembered for his opera L'arlesiana and Adriana Lecouvreur, Francesco Cilea was an Italian composer whose work spanned the late 19th and early 20th century. Said to have been inspired by a performance of Bellini's Norma at the age of just four, Cilea seemed destined for a life in music. He studied at the Conservatorio di San Pietro a Majella in Naples, and for his final exam produced his first opera, Gina. He also composed chamber and orchestra music, and can be heard as an inexpert accompanist on several recordings with singers such as Caruso, and De Lucia.
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