(Lugo, Ravenna, 1880 – Ravenna 1955), composer and musicologist, a student of Mascagni, in 1910 he joined Futurism, drafting its musical manifestos. In fact, the “Manifesto of Futurist Musicians” dates back to the same year, followed by the “Technical Manifesto of Futurist Music” (1911) and “Destruction of Quadratura” (1912). He collaborated with the Florentine magazine “Lacerba” where in 1914 he published the musical text “L'aviatore Dro, op.33” and the article “Gl'intonarumori nell'orchestra” which represents his support for Russolo's manifesto “L'arte dei voci”. A staunch interventionist, during the war years he composed “Inno alla vittoria, op.29” and the “Trio, op.28”. In 1918, he contributed to the Bolognese newspaper "Il Resto del Carlino" and from 1919 to 1921 to "Il Popolo d'Italia," at Mussolini's personal invitation. He composed the musical interludes for Marinetti's drama "Il tamburo di fuoco," and from 1923 to 1927 he composed his most successful works: "Ninna nanna di bambole," op. 44; "Dono primavera," op. 48; "Il fabbricatore di Dio," op. 46; and "Popolaresca," composed for performances at the Teatro della Pantomima futurista. During these same years, he continued to write essays for many cultural periodicals, including "Pensiero musicale" in Bologna, which he later edited. His work as an ethnographer and collector of Romagna songs was significant, part of the general rediscovery of the nation's musical heritage, in line with the rise of fascism. Despite the incurable disease that would lead to his death, he managed to complete his “Autobiography” which was published posthumously in Milan in 1971.
The Francesco Balilla Pratella Fund is divided into the following sections: Correspondence, undoubtedly the most conspicuous section, which collects the letters addressed to Pratella by numerous correspondents including Bacchelli, Balla, Bastianelli, Boccioni, Bragaglia, Broglio, Cangiullo, Corradini, De Pisis, Farfa, Fillia, Marinetti, Mazza, Missiroli, Mussolini Benito and Arnaldo, Palazzeschi, Pizzetti, Settimelli, Viani; Manuscripts, which records the presence of two typescripts signed by Remo Chiti and Emilio Settimelli; Press Review, which preserves articles from newspapers and magazines on Pratella's work, collected and arranged by the latter in notebooks with various titles (“Pro memoria”, “Articoli sul Futurismo”, “Pro musicali futuristi”); Journals, with various newspapers including “Comoedia”, “L'osservatore”, “La fiera letteraria”, “Stile futurista”, “Noi”; Printed material, which collects drafts, loose sheets of paper, photocopies of letters present in the original in the Correspondence section; Library, a collection of first editions related to Futurism, often with dedications.
