Alessandro Parisotti (24 July 1853 – 4 April 1913) was an Italian

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

and music editor.

Life and career

Though also a composer, Alessandro Parisotti is better known today as the original editor of a collection of songs known as '' Arie antiche'' (''Arie antiche: ad una voce per canto e pianoforte'', Milan, 1885–1888). The original collection comprises three volumes of songs or arias published as a primer to study classical singing, but the three volumes have since been reduced to single-volumed extracts known as the '' 24 Italian Songs and Arias''. The original Arie Antiche are still available through Ricordi, Schirmer, and Kalmus. Parisotti collected these antique arias (''arie antiche'' is the Italian) in what was the 19th century vogue for discovering forgotten old or antique music from the classical and baroque eras. The most famous example of this practice of reclaiming forgotten music is

Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include symphonie ...

's revival of

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's '' St. Matthew Passion'' in Berlin (1829). The taste for rediscovered music was de rigueur among musicians and audiences of the nineteenth century, with composers lesser than Mendelssohn and

Brahms Johannes Brahms (; ; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor of the mid- Romantic period. His music is noted for its rhythmic vitality and freer treatment of dissonance, often set within studied ye ...

participating as well. Parisotti found forgotten scores and arranged their arias (or duets) for solo singer and piano accompaniment. Parisotti romanticized the pieces by altering word placement, chordal structure and/or adding ornamentation to the vocal line. Others also did this type of editing, including the publications done by Oliver Ditson. These arrangements are still favorites for recital programming today. Notable students include pianist and composer Lucia Contini Anselmi. In his collection, Parisotti attributed the song "Se tu m'ami" to

Giovanni Battista Pergolesi Giovanni Battista Draghi (; 4 January 1710 – 16 or 17 March 1736), usually referred to as Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (), was an Italian Baroque composer, violinist, and organist, leading exponent of the Baroque; he is considered one of the g ...

, but as no early manuscripts of this song have been located, scholars now believe that Parisotti composed the piece himself. The text for the song was taken from a collection called "Di canzonette e di cantate librue due" by Paolo Rolli, published in London in 1727.Glenn Paton, John (1991). "26 Italian Songs and Arias: An Authoritative Edition Based on Authentic Sources". Alfred Publishing.

Notes

External links

Short biographySheet music for Parisotti's Anthology of Italian Song
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Biography
* * 1853 births 1913 deaths 19th-century Italian musicians 19th-century Italian male musicians Italian Romantic composers Italian male classical composers {{Italy-composer-stub