Franco Donatoni 1927–2000 An Italian composer of singular originality and unimpeachable integrity, Franco Donatoni was also at heart an artisan for whom ‘inspiration comes when I put myself on a chair to write’. Yet, paradoxically, his journey towards maturity was periodically hindered by existential crises and stylistic false starts. Despite a career that spanned nearly fifty years, it is only his compositions of the last two decades or so that sing with his quirky, often radiant voice.