Carlo Francesco Pollarolo

Carlo Francesco Pollarolo ( about 1653 in Brescia ();? † February 7, 1723 in Venice ) was an Italian organist and composer. He composed 85 operas, oratorios, seven, multiple organ sonatas, fugues and sacred arias and cantatas. The operas were performed in his time with great success in Italy, Germany and Austria.

Life

Little is known about Pollarolos youth and his musical education. He was probably from his father Orazio Pollarolo († 1676 ), the organist at the Cathedral of Brescia was and also possibly informed by the Director of Music Pietro Pelli. From 1676 he is shown as a cathedral organist and organist at other churches of Brescia. On November 26, 1674 he married Angela Maria Alliati in the Church of SS Nazaro Celso. He was the father of three children, of whom the youngest son, Antonio Pollarolo, also an organist and composer of opera was.

In 1689 he moved with his family to Venice, where he was appointed organist of St. Mark's Basilica a year later, and two years later took over the office of Vice- Kapellmeister. Since 1691 his operas such as San Giovanni Crisostomo (Teatro Malibran ), Sant'Angelo, San Cassiano and San Fantin were in the most important opera houses in the city, premiered. 1694 he applied for the post of maestro di cappella at St. Mark's Basilica, but was defeated with only one voice its competitor Antonio Biffi. A little later, his son Antonio his post as Vice-Kapellmeister, and Pollarolo devoted himself to composing operas. From 1696 until his death in 1722 he was maestro di coro at the Ospedale degl'Incurabili one of the four prestigious music schools in Venice. For the Incurabili he wrote 12 oratorios.

Pollarolo was buried in the church of Santa Maria di Nazareth.