Abstract
<jats:p>The objective of this research is to identify the fundamental characteristics of the siciliana and burlesque genres across various historical periods. The article analyzes one of the seminal works by the 20th-century Italian composer Alfredo Casella (1883-1947) – “Siciliana and Burlesque” (“Siciliana e Burlesca”, 1914) for flute and piano – in which the typological features of historical genres are organically integrated with the musical style of the early 20th century. The scholarly novelty of the study lies in its unified approach to tracing the genesis of the siciliana and burlesque (from their origins in folk and Baroque music to their radical transformation in the works of 19th- and 20th-century composers) and in identifying their genre-defining components. Consequently, the study demonstrates how Casella refracts typical genre traits – the pastoral contemplativeness of the siciliana and the grotesque characterization of the burlesque – adapting them to the 20th-century musical idiom with its complex harmony and heightened rhythmic intensity. This, in turn, positions the composition not only as a vivid exemplar of the Neoclassical style but also as a distinctive intersection of centuries-old traditions.</jats:p>