Born in Naples in 1903, Mario Pilati belonged to the generation which included such disparate personalities as Petrassi, Dallapiccola, Salviucci, Rieti, Mortari, Scelsi and Rota.

Pilati was a prolific composer of chamber, vocal and orchestral music. Like many of his contemporaries, he was drawn to the instrumental music of the past, especially that of his own country. An example of this is the Suite for Strings and Piano of 1925, which is neo-classical in style.

His other love, that of folk music, is also evident in later works, such as the Concerto for Orchestra, with its ebullient finale ‘alla tirolese’. The attractive lullaby Alla culla comes from the very end of his short life.