Francesco Gasparini (19 March 1661 – 22 March 1727) was an Italian

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

composer and teacher whose works were performed throughout Italy, and also on occasion in Germany and England.

Biography

Born in

Camaiore Camaiore is a city and ''comune'' of 32,513 inhabitants within the province of Lucca, Tuscany, central-western Italy. It stretches from the Apuan Alps to the east, to the plains and the coast of Versilia to the west. History Camaiore has Roman or ...

, near

Lucca Città di Lucca ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the Serchio River, in a fertile plain near the Ligurian Sea. The city has a population of about 89,000, while its Province of Lucca, province has a population of 383,9 ...

, he studied in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

with Corelli and Pasquini. His first important opera, ''Roderico'' (1694), was produced there. In 1702 he went to

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

and became one of the leading composers in the city. In 1720 he returned to Rome for his last important work, ''Tigrane'' (1724). He wrote the first opera using the story of Hamlet ('' Ambleto'', 1705) though this was not based on

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

's play. Gasparini was also a teacher, the instructor of

Marcello Marcello is a common masculine Italian given name. It is a variant of Marcellus (name), Marcellus. The Spanish and Portuguese version of the name is Marcelo, differing in having only one "l", while the Greek form is Markellos. Etymology The nam ...

Quantz Johann Joachim Quantz (; 30 January 1697 – 12 July 1773) was a German composer, flutist and flute maker of the late Baroque period. Much of his professional career was spent in the court of Frederick the Great, where he served as the king's fl ...

and

Domenico Scarlatti Giuseppe Domenico Scarlatti (26 October 1685 – 23 July 1757) was an Italian composer. He is classified primarily as a Baroque music, Baroque composer chronologically, although his music was influential in the development of the Classical peri ...

. He was musical director of the

Ospedale della Pietà The Ospedale della Pietà was a convent, orphanage, and music school in Venice. Like other Venetian ''ospedali'', the Pietà was first established as a hospice for the needy. A group of Venetian nuns, called the Consorelle di Santa Maria dell’Um ...

, where he employed

Antonio Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist, impresario of Baroque music and Roman Catholic priest. Regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, Vivaldi's influence during his lif ...

as a violin master. He wrote a treatise on the harpsichord (1708). At one time,

Metastasio Pietro Antonio Domenico Trapassi (3 January 1698 – 12 April 1782), better known by his pseudonym of Pietro Metastasio (), was an Italian poet and librettist, considered the most important writer of ''opera seria'' libretti. Early life Met ...

was betrothed to his daughter. He died in Rome in 1727.

Works

Operas

See List of operas by Francesco Gasparini.

Other

* ''Missa canonica'' for four voices and basso continuo (Venice, 1705)Neuaufgefundenes Bach-Autograph in Weißenfels
at

Reception

Gasparini's works were performed throughout Italy, and also on occasion in Germany and England.

Missa canonica

Gasparini's ''Missa Canonica'' was known to

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: Help:IPA/Standard German, �joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque music, Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety ...

, who, in 1740, copied it out and—after adding parts for strings, oboes,

cornett The cornett (, ) is a lip-reed wind instrument that dates from the Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque periods, popular from 1500 to 1650. Although smaller and larger sizes were made in both straight and curved forms, surviving cornetts are most ...

, trombone, and organ—performed its

Kyrie ', a transliteration of Greek , vocative case of ('' Kyrios''), is a common name of an important prayer of Christian liturgy, also called the ( ; ). In the Bible The prayer, , "Lord, have mercy" derives from a Biblical phrase. Greek , ...

and

Gloria Gloria may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Christian liturgy and music * Gloria in excelsis Deo, the Greater Doxology, a hymn of praise * Gloria Patri, the Lesser Doxology, a short hymn of praise ** Gloria (Handel) ** Gloria (Jenkins ...

in both the

St. Thomas Church, Leipzig The St. Thomas Church () is a Lutheran church in Leipzig, Germany, located at the western part of the inner city ring road in Leipzig's central district. Martin Luther preached in the church in 1539. It is associated with several well-known ...

and

St. Nicholas Church, Leipzig The St. Nicholas Church () is one of the major churches of central Leipzig, Germany (in Leipzig's district Mitte). Construction started in Romanesque style in 1165, but in the 16th century, the church was turned into a Gothic hall church. Baro ...

Recordings

*''Il Vecchio Avaro''; Gloria Banditelli - Fiammetta, Antonio Abete - Pancrazio, Il Viaggio Musicale - orchestra, Alessandro Bares - maestro di concerto. Bongiovanni - Bologna GB 2210-2. (1998) *''Dori & Daliso – Mirena & Floro'',

Auser Musici Auser Musici is a period instrument ensemble centered in Pisa that specializes in early music repertory from the Tuscan region of Italy. History, Mission, and Activities The ensemble was founded in 1997 by the flautist Carlo Ipata and has performe ...

, Carlo Ipata, director, Symphonia SY 03207 (2004) *''Cantate da Camera a voce e basso continuo'' – Susanna Rigacci soprano; Gabriele Micheli harpsichord. Tactus TC 660701 (2004) *'' Il Bajazet'' – Auser Musici; Carlo Ipata, director; Giuseppina Bridelli, soprano; Ewa Gubańska, mezzo-soprano; Benedetta Mazzucato, contralto; Giorgia Cincirpi, mezzo-soprano; Antonio Giovanni, countertenor; Filippo Mineccia, countertenor; Raffaele Pè, countertenor; Leonardo De Lisi, tenor. Glossa GCD923504 (2015) * '' Arie Sacre ''-Eleonora Alberici, soprano; Mario Genesi, harsichord (2007), includes motect "Panis Angelicus" by F. Gasparini

References

* Kennedy, Michael (2006), ''The Oxford Dictionary of Music'', *Warrack, John and West, Ewan (1992), ''The Oxford Dictionary of Opera'',

External links

* * 1661 births 1727 deaths 18th-century Italian male musicians 18th-century Italian composers Italian Baroque composers Italian male classical composers Italian music theorists Musicians from the Province of Lucca Pupils of Bernardo Pasquini People from Camaiore {{music-theory-stub