Licinio Refice

20th century composer Licinio Refice devised a new sacred music style that contained both innovative and conservative elements. Refice was appointed professor at the Scuola Superiore di Musica Sacra in Rome in 1910 and became director of the Cappella musicale liberiana at the famed Santa Maria Maggiore church that same year. In 1924, Refice began to compose his opera Cecilia. The premiere of the opera had to wait until 1934, however, as Refice clashed with authorities over what they saw as neglect of his choir direction duties. Refice wrote a second opera, Margherita da Cortona, in 1938 and began a third, Il Mago, in 1954. That work, however, was cut short by his death on September 11, 1954. Few of his compositions have been performed or recorded in the 21st century. Cecilia, however, has been recorded multiple times.