Andrea Adolfati
Encyclopedia
Andrea Adolfati was an Italian
composer
who is particularly remembered for his output of opera seria
s. His works are generally conventional and stylistically similar to the operas of his teacher Baldassare Galuppi. Although his music largely followed the fashion of his time, he did compose two tunes with unusual time signatures for his day: an air in 5/4 meter and another in 7/4 meter.
Adolfati studied music composition in Venice with composer Galuppi. After completing his studies he became the maestro di cappella at the Santa Maria della Salute, a position he held until 1745. He then worked in the same capacity at the court in Modena, where his divertimento da camera La pace fra la virtù e la bellezza premiered in 1746. Around the same time he composed some songs and arias for Johann Adolph Hasse
's Lo starnuto di Ercole, which was given at the Teatro San Girolamo (a small theatre located in the Palazzo Labia
) in 1745 and during Carnival
1746.
In 1748 Adolfati became masestro di cappella at the Basilica della Santissima Annunziata del Vastato
in Genoa. On 30 May 1760 he became maestro di cappella of the Padua Cathedral
, succeeding Giacomo Rampini
,who had died three days earlier, in that post. He remained there for only a short period, as he also died just five months later.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
who is particularly remembered for his output of opera seria
Opera seria
Opera seria is an Italian musical term which refers to the noble and "serious" style of Italian opera that predominated in Europe from the 1710s to c. 1770...
s. His works are generally conventional and stylistically similar to the operas of his teacher Baldassare Galuppi. Although his music largely followed the fashion of his time, he did compose two tunes with unusual time signatures for his day: an air in 5/4 meter and another in 7/4 meter.
Adolfati studied music composition in Venice with composer Galuppi. After completing his studies he became the maestro di cappella at the Santa Maria della Salute, a position he held until 1745. He then worked in the same capacity at the court in Modena, where his divertimento da camera La pace fra la virtù e la bellezza premiered in 1746. Around the same time he composed some songs and arias for Johann Adolph Hasse
Johann Adolph Hasse
Johann Adolph Hasse was an 18th-century German composer, singer and teacher of music. Immensely popular in his time, Hasse was best known for his prolific operatic output, though he also composed a considerable quantity of sacred music...
's Lo starnuto di Ercole, which was given at the Teatro San Girolamo (a small theatre located in the Palazzo Labia
Palazzo Labia
Palazzo Labia is a baroque palace in Venice, Italy. Built in the 17th-18th century, it is one of the last great palazzi of Venice. Little known outside of Italy, it is most notable for the remarkable frescoed ballroom painted between by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, with decorative works in trompe...
) in 1745 and during Carnival
Carnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
1746.
In 1748 Adolfati became masestro di cappella at the Basilica della Santissima Annunziata del Vastato
Basilica della Santissima Annunziata del Vastato
The Basilica della Santissima Annunziata del Vastato is a Catholic cathedral in Genoa, northern Italy; its decoration employed the major baroque studios and artists in Genoa in the 17th century....
in Genoa. On 30 May 1760 he became maestro di cappella of the Padua Cathedral
Padua Cathedral
The Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary of Padua is a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica in Padua, northern Italy. The cathedral is the see of the Diocese of Padua, and is dedicated to to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary....
, succeeding Giacomo Rampini
Giacomo Rampini
Giacomo Rampini was an Italian composer of operas, oratorios, and sacred music. He was appointed the maestro di cappella of the Padua Cathedral in 1704, a position he held until his death at which time Andrea Adolfati took over the post...
,who had died three days earlier, in that post. He remained there for only a short period, as he also died just five months later.
Operas
- Artaserse (opera seria, libretto by Pietro Metastasio, 1741, Verona; in collaboration with Pietro ChiariniPietro ChiariniPietro Chiarini was an Italian composer.From 1738 to 1744, he was in Venice where four of his operas and an oratorio were performed. Later he went to Cremona, where in 1754 he wrote and presented the intermezzo La donna dottor. He was later appointed maestro di cappella at the court of Cremona in...
) - La pace fra la virtù e la bellezza (divertimento da camera, libretto by Liborati, Pietro Metastasio, 1746, Modena)
- Didone abbandonata (dramma, libretto by Pietro Metastasio, 1747, Venice)
- Il corsaro punito (dramma giocoso, 1750, Pavia)
- Arianna (dramma, libretto by Pietro Pariati, 1750, Genoa)
- La gloria e il piacere (introduction to music on the ball, 1751, Genoa)
- Adriano in Siria (dramma, libretto by Pietro Metastasio, 1751, Genoa)
- Il giuoco dei matti (commedia per musica, 1751, Genoa)
- Ifigenia (dramma per musica, 1751, Genoa)
- Ipermestra (dramma, libretto by Pietro Metastasio, 1752, Modena)
- Vologeso (dramma, basato su Lucio Vero by Apostolo ZenoApostolo ZenoApostolo Zeno was a Venetian poet, librettist, journalist, and man of letters.-Early life:Apostolo Zeno was born of Cretan Greek descent in Venice in 1669...
, 1752, Genoa) - La clemenza di Tito (dramma, libretto by Pietro Metastasio, 1753, Vienna)
- Sesostri re d'Egitto (dramma, libretto by Apostolo ZenoApostolo ZenoApostolo Zeno was a Venetian poet, librettist, journalist, and man of letters.-Early life:Apostolo Zeno was born of Cretan Greek descent in Venice in 1669...
, 1755, Genoa)
Other works
- Miserere for 4 voices and instruments
- Nisi Dominus for 1 voice, basso continuo
- Laudate for 4 voices
- In exitu for 5 voices and instruments
- Domine ne in furore for 4 voices and instruments
- 6 cantatas for soprano and instruments
- Già la notte s'avvicina (text by Pietro Metastasio)
- Filen, crudo Fileno
- Perdono amata Nice (text by Pietro Metastasio)
- Ingratissimo Tirsi
- No, non turbarti, o Nice (text by Pietro Metastasio)
- Cantata for 2
- Varie arie
- 6 sonatas for 2 violins, 2 flutes, 2 horns, bassoon, and contrabassoon
- Sinfonia in F major
- Overture in D major
Sources
- R. Giazotto, La musica a Genova nella vita pubblica e privata dal XIII al XVIII secolo (GenovaGénovaGénova may refer to:* Spanish spelling of the city of Genoa, Italy* Génova, Quindío, a municipality in the department of Quindío, Colombia* Génova, Quetzaltenango, a municipality in the department of Quetzaltenango, Guatemala...
, 1951) - B. Brunelli, Pietro Metastasio: Tutte le opere, (Milano, 1951–4)
- K.G. Fellerer, Thematische Verzeichnisse der fürstbischöflichen Freisingischen Hofmusik von 1796, Festschrift Otto Erich Deutsch, pp. 296-302 (KasselKasselKassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...
, 1963) - S. Pintacuda, Genova, Biblioteca dell'Istituto musicale Nicolò Paganini: catalogo (Milano, 1966)
- A. Zaggia, La fiera delle bagatelle: il teatro musicale per marionette di San Girolamo (Venezia, 1746–1748), Rassegna veneta di studi musicali, vol. II-III, pp. 133-71 (1986–7)
- S. Mamy, La musique à Venise et l'imaginaire français des Lumières, pp. 30–1, 175 (ParigiParigiParigi is a village and a mandal in Anantapur district in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India. -Demographics:According to Indian census, 2001, the demographic details of Parigi mandal is as follows:* Total Population: 52,852 in 11,187 Households...
, 1996) - S. Hansell, C. Steffan, Andrea Adolfati in New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians