Pierantonio Tasca (1858–1934) was an Italian opera composer. His first opera, Bianca, premiered in 1885, to a libretto by Enrico Golisciani.[1] Eva Tetrazzini, elder sister of the famous Luisa Tetrazzini participated in the premiere.[2]
His next operas, A Santa Lucia (1892) and Pergolesi (1898), had successful premieres in Berlin. The libretto for A Santa Lucia was written by Enrico Golisciani, based on the book Scene popolari napoletane (1889) by Goffredo Cognetti (Napoli 1855-Castiglioncello, Livorno 1943).[3] The score was published by Galletti e Cocci (Florence) in 1892.[4] Pergolesi was based on a libretto by Eugenio Chécchi (Livorno 1838 - Roma 1932).[5]
In 1901, an operetta by Tasca called Studenti e sartine premiered in Tasca's hometown of Noto, in Sicily. Tasca presented the work using a pseudonym, "D'Anthony."[2]
Tasca's next opera to be performed onstage was La lupa, with a libretto by Giovanni Verga. La lupa was published in the second decade of the 20th century,[6] but had its premiere in Noto in 1932. Two additional operatic works composed by Tasca, La madre and Scongiuro, were never performed. Tasca also wrote a Messa da Requiem, a death elegy to Edmondo De Amicis, as well as symphonic and chamber music.