Giovanni Alberto Ristori (1692 – 7 February 1753) was an Italian

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

composer and conductor. He was the son of Tommaso Ristori, the leader of an opera troupe belonging to the

King of Poland Poland was ruled at various times either by dukes and princes (10th to 14th centuries) or by kings (11th to 18th centuries). During the latter period, a tradition of Royal elections in Poland, free election of monarchs made it a uniquely electab ...

and Elector of

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August II the Strong (based in

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). August II lent his opera troupe to the Russian Empress Anna for the celebration of her coronation in Moscow. Ristori died in

. '' Calandro'', his opera in three acts to a

libretto A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...

by Stefano Benedetto Pallavicino, was both the first ''

opera buffa Opera buffa (, "comic opera"; : ''opere buffe'') is a genre of opera. It was first used as an informal description of Italian comic operas variously classified by their authors as ''commedia in musica'', ''commedia per musica'', ''dramma bernesc ...

'' written in Germany and also the first Italian opera performed in

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. It was given under his, and his father's direction, with thirteen actors and nine singers including Ludovica Seyfried, Margherita Ermini and Rosalia Fantasia, in 1731 in Moscow. In 1916 the German musicologist Curt Rudolf Mengelberg published the first study on Ristori and his music: Curt Rudolf Mengelberg, ''Giovanni Alberto Ristori: ein Beitrag zur Geschichte italienischer Kunstherrschaft in Deutschland im 18. Jahrhundert'' (Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1916). Although short on biographical details, it is a landmark publication because Mengelberg had access to many Dresden music sources now missing. This applies especially to Ristori’s sacred music; prior to 1945 Ristori’s sacred music was held both in score and parts by the Dresden State Library (today, Dresden State and University Library (SLUB)). Copies of Ristori's sacred music have been found in Czech and Polish music libraries. The Icelandic independent musicologist Jóhannes Ágústsson’s article "Giovanni Alberto Ristori at the Court of Naples 1738-1740" (Studi pergolesiani – Pergolesi studies 8, eds C. Bacciagaluppi, H.-G. Ottenberg and L. Zoppelli, Bern, Peter Lang, 2012, pp. 53–100), introduced many new biographical details about the Italian composer including previously unknown information about Ristori’s role as the royal music teacher of the princess Maria Amalia of Saxony, later Queen of the Two Sicilies and Queen of Spain. Recordings of some of Ristori’s works have been released on CD.

Works, editions, and selected recordings

Discography * Cantatas for Soprano and Oboe concerto. María Savastano (soprano), Jon Olaberria (oboe), Ensemble Diderot, Johannes Pramsohler (Audax Records 2017) * Missa - on ''Weihnachten am Dresdner Hof'' Kopp (Carus) * Calandro - Batzdorfer Hofkapelle (KammerTon, 2005) * Divoti Affetti alla Passione di Nostro Signore. Echo du Danube (Accent, 2011) * Canto Divoti Affetti on ''La Voce Virtuosa: Lute and the Saxon Vocal Tradition'' PGM 106"Io vorrei saper, d'amore" by Johann David Heinichen Cantata: "La bella fiammo o Tirsi" by Johann David Heinichen "Lascia che nei suo viso" by Lotti "Felice io me n'andro di Giove" by Fux Allemande in F minor by Weiss Tamara Crout Matthews (soprano), Jennifer Lane (mezzo-soprano), Jorgan-Michael Schwarz and Karen Marmer (violins), Loretta O'Sullivan (cello), Timothy Burris (lute & theorbo), Eric Milnes (organ & harpsichord) Includes the world-premiere recording of Ristori's "Canto Divoti Affetti" which was presumed until early 1995 to have been destroyed during the World War II bombings of Dresden.

References

External links

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Giovanni Alberto RistoriThe Pachelbel Romanesca in Dresden
(annotated score of the Credo from Ristori's Christmas Mass) {{DEFAULTSORT:Ristori, Giovanni Alberto Italian Baroque composers Italian opera composers Italian male opera composers 1692 births 1753 deaths 18th-century Italian composers 18th-century Italian male musicians Chief conductors of the Staatskapelle Dresden