Antonio Capuzzi

Giuseppe Antonio Capuzzi ( born August 1, 1755 in Breno, † March 28, 1818 in Bergamo ) was an Italian violinist and composer.

Life

Little is known about Capuzzis training as a violinist and composer. But his multi-faceted talent must have been detected early so that he was sent to Venice to study with Antonio Nazari violin, as well as Ferdinando Bertoni, Kapellmeister of St. Mark's Basilica, composition.

In the music city of Venice with its many churches that talked her each house its own orchestra, opera, ballet, and comparable with the Paris "Concerts spirituels " public concerts Capuzzis talents were able to develop very well. After Capuzzi had established himself as a virtuoso violinist in Venice since about 1775, he was promoted in 1780 to the concert master of the theater of San Samuele, San Benedetto and San Moise. From 1785 he was a member of the Chapel of St. Mark's Basilica, before he held the position of first violinist of the newly opened La Fenice Opera House from 1792.

Capuzzis fame enabled him not only travel to all major cities of Italy, but also stays in Vienna and London ( 1796). After the occupation of Venice by Napoleon's troops in May 1797 and so adopted the political end of the Republic, it pulled the Capuzzis close friend, teacher and composer Johann Simon Mayr, to Bergamo. In 1805 he was also Capuzzi persuaded to come to Bergamo in order to use it there as concertmaster and director of the court orchestra of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore and the orchestra of the Teatro Riccardi. But Mayr intended mainly Capuzzi to undertake as a teacher of his School Lezioni Caritatevoli di Musica, which he finally succeeded. Teachers like Francesco Salari, Antonio Gonzales and just Capuzzi was the Lezioni one of the main schools of the country and brought artists such as Antonio Piatti, Marco Bonesi, Carlo Antonio Zanetti and Gaetano Donizetti forth.

Capuzzi remained in Bergamo and died there as a highly respected violinist, teacher and composer on March 28, 1818 nine days after he had suffered in the middle of a concert at Santa Maria Maggiore, a stroke or heart attack.

Personality

During his lifetime was Capuzzi as an innovative composer, eminent teacher and virtuoso instrumentalist, earning him the name " Orpheus of his time " brought under Italian musicians. An honorable epithet, as he was familiar example for George Frideric Handel.

Capuzzis musical successes meant that he was " a call to Russia, another to England " received. The offer came from Russia by Catherine the Great, but refused Capuzzi from - probably from heimatlicher connectedness and love to the audience that he always " charmed by his game "

Capuzzi must have been extremely popular with colleagues, as is documented by Simon Mayr, a Requiem and a cantata Per la morte di Antonio Capuzzi. Gaetano Donizetti, who was instructed by Mayr at Bergamo in the " strict church style ", composed on the death Capuzzis a symphony in D minor per la morte di Capuzzi.

Today's reception

How many popular in their time and successful composers of the 18th century emerged Capuzzi rarely in today's concert programs, which is in its case mainly due to the bad tradition situation. The comparison of now and then as effect on Capuzzi is nevertheless a rather striking example of a "forgotten " composers of the 18th century.

Double bass player 's name is familiar Capuzzis by a solo concert, whose attribution is not without controversy. A reference of the dedicatee Cavaliere Marcantonio Mocenigo to the double bass is also not detectable. The work is preserved only in one copy which comes from the estate of the bass virtuoso Domenico Dragonetti. This she bequeathed to his friend and publisher Vincent Novello, in turn, in 1849, the British left the manuscript museum. The second and third movement of the concerto are sometimes played by other low instruments (trombone, euphonium and tuba). Furthermore occasionally get Capuzzis string quintets for performance.

Music

Capuzzis 1783, published in print six string quintets with two violas, Op 3 enjoyed great success with audiences and musicians. The six quintets are among the most original works Capuzzis. They are influenced by similar compositions by Joseph Haydn and Luigi Boccherini and speak but speak their own language, which never denies its Italian origin and has operatic and lyrical moves. Published as Opus 3 works seem to anticipate late Mozart quintets, although Capuzzis work with their kind, and buffoneske to merge serious style elements, with their very own character. In the string quintets Capuzzis the inspiration of such works as the Haydn String Quartets Op 20 and Op 30 's but certainly not to be missed. In fact, narrated the Capuzzi - in addition to some manuscripts of different a composing contemporaries - had scores of Haydn's works.

Works

Capuzzis compositional work, handed down only a fraction, can be divided into three phases:

First creative phase

In the period from 1775 to 1790 Capuzzi wrote mainly chamber music works:

Second creative phase

Between 1790 and 1804 stage works were primarily, including five operas:

• Cefalo e Procri, Favoli in prose con musica, Act 1, Padua, 1792 ( libretto by Alessandro Ercole Conte Pepoli )
• Eco e Narciso, Favola, 1 act, Venice, 1793 ( libretto by Alessandro Ercole Conte Pepoli )
• I Bagni d' Abano ossia La Forza delle prime impressioni, Commedia, 2 acts, Venice, January 1794, Teatro Venier in San Benedetto ( libretto by Antonio Simeone Sografi by Goldoni )
• Sopra l' ingannator cade l' inganno ovvero I due Granatieri, farsa giocosa, 2 acts, January 14, 1801, Venice, Teatro San Moise a Giustiniani ( libretto by Giuseppe Maria Foppa )
• La casa vendere there farsa giocosa, Act 1, January 4, 1804, Venice, Teatro San Angelo ( libretto by Giulio Domenico Camagna )
• 20 ballets for venues in London, Vienna, Rome, Naples, Venice, Milan, Vicenza, Florence and Ravenna.

All operas and ballets are lost, however, only individual arias were delivered.

Third creative phase

In the third phase (1804-1818) dive back many instrumental works at: