Riccardo Drigo was born in Padua, Italy, on June 30, 1846. He first
became famous as conductor of orchestral concerts at the Imperial
Theater in St. Petersburg. After World War I, he continued his
activities as conductor in his native city. He died there on October 1,
1930.
Drigo was the composer of ballets and operas, none of which have
survived. He is today remembered almost exclusively for two slight but
well loved items. One is the melodically suave _Serenade_, popular in
every conceivable transcription. It comes out of a ballet entitled _I
milioni d’Arlecchino_ (_Harlequin’s Millions_) and consequently is
sometimes known as the _Harlequin’s Serenade_. The other is _Valse
bluette_, an elegant waltz melody, which the composer originally wrote
for salon orchestra, but which is in the violinist’s repertory by virtue
of a famous transcription.