Biography
Born into a lineage of organists, Bossi obtained his initial instruction from his father, Pietro Bossi. Subsequent studies took him to the Liceo Musicale in Bologna and the Milan Conservatory. Appointments as organist and choirmaster at Como Cathedral followed, establishing his standing among the foremost organists of the period. He further taught harmony and organ at various conservatories across Italy. The instrumental and organ compositions proved to be his most widely admired and enduring works. As a creator, he revealed a dramatic sensibility and skill with forms such as the tone poem. Il paradiso perduto (1903) illustrates this approach, a choral score that depicts chaos through formless rhythms and stark intervals. Early in the twentieth century Bossi joined the movement to revive non-operatic Italian music. Influences from Liszt, Franck, and Brahms guided him toward the inclusion of subtle chromaticism. He died at sea in 1925 while traveling from New York back to Italy.