Six piano works by Antonio Nani (1842-1929) considered in their social and cultural contexts

Abstract

The aim of this dissertation is to provide a study and analysis of six chosen piano works by Antonio Nani. The study is divided into: (i) an overview of the composer’s life, establishing his contribution to the Maltese musical heritage; (ii) a brief study of the history of secular music in Malta especially piano music from the mid nineteenth century to the early twentieth century; (iii) a comparative analysis of Nani’s piano works with contemporary composers of his era; (iv) an analytic perspective of Antonio Nani’s piano style and compositional techniques as seen in his chosen works; (v) conclusion