sábado, 9 de maio de 2026

ATTVILIUS ARIOSTI BONONIENSIS,

 

 

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AQUI A CULPA É DA IA



Attilio Ariosti (5 de novembro de 1666 – 1729) foi um prolífico compositor, organista e virtuoso da viola d'amore italiano do período barroco. Nascido em Bolonha, ele foi uma figura cosmopolita que atuou em diversas cortes europeias e produziu uma vasta obra. 
Principais Aspectos da sua Vida e Obra:

    Carreira Eclesiástica e Musical: Ariosti tornou-se frade servita em 1688, mas recebeu permissão para seguir carreira musical, ficando conhecido também como "Frate Ottavio".
    Atuação na Europa: Trabalhou para o Duque de Mantua, na corte de Berlim (a convite de Sofia Carlota de Hanôver) e, posteriormente, em Viena e Londres.
    Produção Musical: Compsosição de mais de 30 óperas e oratórios, além de numerosas cantatas e obras instrumentais, especialmente para a viola d'amore.
    Rivais Barrocos: Atuou no mesmo período que grandes nomes como Giovanni Bononcini e George Frideric Handel.
    Obras Notáveis: Suas produções incluem o oratório La passione (1693) e óperas como Caio Marzio Coriolano. 

Saiba mais sobre a biografia do compositor no artigo da Wikipedia sobre Attilio Ariosti ou em inglês, e conheça sua análise como compositor de duetos vocais no repositório da Academia de Ciências da Hungria. Uma breve biografia também está disponível no site Opéra Baroque. 
Attilio Ariosti – Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre
Attilio Ariosti. compositor italiano. Idioma; A carregar... Descarregar PDF; Vigiar · Editar. Attilio Malachia Ariosti (Bolonha, 5...
Wikipedia
Attilio ARIOSTI - Opéra Baroque
Compositeur italien cosmopolite, moine et courtisan chargé de missions diplomatiques. Ariosti était un musicien que ses dons d'org...
operabaroque.fr
Attilio Ariosti | Amazon.com.br
Attilio Malachia Ariosti (5 November 1666 - 1729) was an Italian composer in the Baroque style, born in Bologna. He produced more ...
Amazon
Attilio Ariosti - Wikipédia - Wikipedia
Attilio Ariosti. Artigo · Falar. Linguagem; Carregando… Baixar PDF; Assistir · Editar. Attilio Malachia Ariosti (ou Frade Ottavio ...
Wikipedia
Attilio Ariosti as a Composer of Vocal Duets
This paper will focus on Attilio Ariosti as the seemingly most moderate party in the rivalry between the three composers to see if...
Repository of the Academy's Library
Caio Marzio Coriolano por Ensemble Odyssee
Ouça Caio Marzio Coriolano de Attilio Ariosti interpretada por Ensemble Odyssee, Andrea Friggi. 
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Hawkins, John: A General History Of The Science and Practice Of Music. 5

Standort
    München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek -- 4 Mus.th. 622-5
Urheber
    Hawkins, John -- (GND: 118709291)
Titel
    A General History Of The Science and Practice Of Music: In Five Volumes. 5
Von
    By Sir John Hawkins
Entstehung
    London : Payne

    (1776)

https://www.digitale-sammlungen.de/de/view/bsb11384147?q=durastanti&page=296

https://archive.org/details/17778571998888bsb-11384147/page/297/mode/1up?q=Thomas

https://archive.org/stream/17778571998888bsb-11384147/17778571998888bsb11384147_djvu.txt


| se - ES = 
(Se ee tt a a a eee de 


"Vor. V. Tii 


2900 HTS TORY SOR ARETE SGIENCE Book III. 


ATTVILIUS ARIOSTI BONONIENSIS, 


ATTILIo ARrosTI, an ecclefiaftic, and therefore ufually called in 
England and elfewhere Padre Attilio *, wasa native of Bologna, and 
chapel-mafter to the eleCtrefs of Brandenburg. Inthe year 1700, on 
the anniverfary of the nuptials of Frederic, ‘hereditary prince of 
Heffe Caffel, with the electoral princefs of Brandenburg, Louifa Do- 
rothea Sophia, bee the firft aay of June, he performed at Lutzen- 


* Ttis faid that he was a mDoninican friar, but that he hada difpenfation from the pope 


that exempted him from the rule of his order, and left him at liberty to follow a fecnlar * 
profeflion. 


burg,. 


- a i a ee A A : = a 
SL ee Eee 


Chap.g. AND PRACTICE OF MUSIC, ZO 
burg, a villa of the princefs at a {mall diftance from Berlin, a ballet, 
and on the fixth of the fame month, an opera, both of his compo- 
fition, which were received with great applaufe. In the former he 
affected to imitate the ftyle of Lully; butin the latter, following the 
dictates of his own genius and invention, he exceeded the higheft ex- 
pectations. The title of the opera was Atys, in which a fhepherd of 
that name is reprefented in the extremity of rage and defpair, to 
which paffions Attilio had adapted a compofition called Sinfonia 
Infernale, the modulation whereof was fo fingular, and withal fo 
mafterly, that the audience were alternately affected with terror 
and pity, in an exact correfpondence with the fentiments of the poet 
and the defign of the reprefentation. He alfo compofed a mufical 
drama entitled ¢ Amor tra Nemici,’ which was performed on the 
birth-day of the emperor Jofeph in that year. The words of this 
drama were printed for the perufal of the audience during the time 
of performance; and it is from the title-page of this publication only, 
that the fact of his being an ecclefiaftic is afcertained ; for as to his 
profeffion, it was altogether fecular, and he never pretended to the 
exercife of any ecclefiaftical fun@ion. Attilio was a celebrated per- 
former on the violoncello; but he was moft diltinguithed for his per- 
formance on an inftrument, of whichif he was not the inventor, he 
was the great improver, namely, the Viol d’Amore, for which he 
made many compofitions. The refidence of Attilio at Berlin in the 
year 1698, the time when Handel, then but a child, arrived at that 
city, gave him an opportunity of knowing him, and laid the founda- 
tion of a friendfhip, which, notwithftanding a competition of inte- 
refts, fubfifted for many years after. The occafion of his leaving 
Berlin was an invitation from the diretors of the opera here to come 
and fettle at London; upon his arrival he joined with Bononcini: the 
confequences of that aflociation are related in the account herein be.- 
fore given of his colleague and his rival Handel, and leaves little to. 
be faid of him farther than regards his works, and his general. cha- 
racter as a mufician. 

Of fundry operas compofed by Attilio, only Coriolanus and Lucius. 
Verus are in print, though many of the airs in others of them are to. 
be found in colleCtions publifhed by Walth. Of bis operas Coriola- 
nus was beft received, and is the moft celebrated; the prifon fcene 
in particular is wrought up to the higheft degree of perfedtion thas 

mufie 


292 HISTORY OF THE SCIENCE Book iif. 


mufic is capable of, and is faid to have drawn tears from the au- 
dience at every reprefentation : One of the Newgate fcenes in the 
Beggar’s Opera is apparently a parody on it, and Mr. Gay feems to 
intimate no lefs in his preface. 

The fuccefs of Mr. Handel in the compofition of operas, and the 
applaufe with which his produCtions were received, not only fi- 
Jenced all competition againft him, but drove his opponents to the 
neceflity of relinquifhing their claim to the public favour. Bononcini, 
upon his ceafing to compofe for the opera, found a comfortable retreat, 
and a fovereign remedy for the pangs of difappointed ambition, in 
the Marlborough family ; the lot of Attilio was lefs happy, and we 
know of no patronage extended to him. Preffed by the neceffity 
which followed from his want of encouragement, he not fo properly 
folicited as begged, a fubfcription from the nobility and gentry to a 
book of Cantatas, in which he purpofed to difplay the utmoft of his 
abilities. Before this time Bononcini had made the like attempt in 
a propofal to publifh his Duettos and Cantatas; the fub{cription to the 
work was two guineas; and he fucceeded fo well, that the profits of the 
publication were eftimated at near a thoufand guineas. Attilio, in 
the hope of like fuccefs, applied himfelf to fuch as he thought his 
friends, and, as well where he failed of a promife, as where he ob- 
tained one, he inrolled the name of the perfon applied to, in his lift 
of fubfcribers, and his book was publifhed with the ftrange title of 
* Alla Maefta di Giorgio Ré della Gran Britagna, &c. &c. &c.’ and 
only the initials of his name to the dedication. The work confifts of 
fix Cantatas, the words whereof are conjectured to have been written 
by Paolo Rolli; and a colleétion of leffons for the Viol d’Amore.. 
The compofitions of both kinds contained in it abound with evi- 
dences of a fertile invention, and great fkill in the art of modula- 
tion and the principles of harmony ; and, upon the whole, may be 
faid to have merited a better reception than the public vouchfafed to 
givethem. Afterthe publication of this book Attilio took leave of 
England. 


CHAP. 








Chap.10. AND PRACTICE OF MUSIC. 293 


Cet eaAc ep, xX. 


HE account which it is propofed to give of the opera, and of 
thofe contentions among the fingers, that, in the fubfequent 
hiftory of it will be found to have greatly embarraffed the directors, 
and divided the fupporters of it into parties, will convince every one 
who reads it, that the profeffion of an opera finger was become of 
great importance; and that the careffes of princes and other great per- 
fonages, who were flaves to their pleafures, had contributed to make 
them infolent ; and this confideration makes it neceflary to recur fome 
years backwards, and take a view of the profeflion in its infancy, 
and to affign the caufes that contributed to aggrandize it. 

The profeffion of a public finger was not unknown to the ancient 
Romans ; but among that people thofe that followed it were in ge- 
neral the flaves or domeftic fervants of the Patricians. In after-times 
it was followed for a livelihood by perfons of both fexes, and with 
the greateft emolument by males, who in their infancy had under- 
gone an operation, which feldom fails to improve the vocal organs : 
Of the general chara€ter and behaviour of this latter clafs of fingers, 
we have no clear intimation till about the year 1647, when Dont 
publithed his treatife De Preftantia Mufice veteris, in which he gives 
many inftances of their arrogant and licentious behaviour to their 
fuperiors, and their general difpofition to luxury and extravagance. 
Of the women the above writer fays little but what is to their ho- 
nour; two the moft celebrated female fingers of his time, Hadriana 
Baroni, and Leonora her daughter, he reprefents as virtuous and mo- 
deft women, thy 

The fame author informs us, that in his time fingers with remark- 
able fine voices were hired at great rates to fing at the public theatres ; 
but fo fervile in his eftimation does the profeflion feem to appear, that 
he has forborne, except in the inftances above mentioned, to diftin- 
guifh even the moft celebrated of them by their names. In propor- 
tion as theatric mufic improved, thefe people became more and more 
confpicuous ; but not till the clofe of the laft century were any of 
the fingers in the Italian opera know by their names; the firft that 
<an be readily recalled to memory is Sifacio, who, after having fung 

V OIGsV. Kkk abroad 


294 HISTORY OF THE SCIENCE  BookTIE. 


abroad for many years with great applaufe, came into England, and 
was a finger in the chapel of James II. foon after whom appeared 
Francefco Antonio Piftocchi, who, to borrow a term from the pain- 
ters, was the founder of a fchool, which has produced fome of the 
moft celebrated fingers in thefe latter ages. The {chool of Piftocchi 
is called the School of Bologna; but it feems that there was alfo one 
nore ancient, called the School of Tufcany; and to this feminary 
Milton feems to allude in the following lines, part of a fonnet in- 
fcribed to Mr, Lawrence : 


What neat repaft fhall feaft us, light and choice, 
Of Attic tafte, with wine ; whence we may rife 
To hear the lute well toucht, or artful voice 

Warble immortal notes and Tufcan air ? 


Mr. Martinelli, in two letters by him written to an Englith 
nobleman, on the origin of the Italian opera*, would infinuate 
that the flyle of the Tufcan fchool, even down to the beginning 
of the prefent century, retained much of that natural fimplicity and 
aufterity which charaQerized the fongs of the church; and that 
Sifacio-+-, and La Tilla, both natives of Tufcany, and of this an- 
cient {chool, determined the epocha of this grave and fimple mufic ; 
and farther that Piftocchi corrupted it. His character of this perfon is, 
* that he fung at firft upon the theatre, but being obliged, becaufe 
‘ of his difagreeable voice and ungraceful figure, to quit the ftage, 
* he turned prieft, and undertook to teach an art which he was judg- 
* ed unable to practice with fuccefs.’ 

To this opinion of Mr. Martinelli, fo far as it refpeas Piftocchi, 
we have to oppofe that of a much better judge, namely, Mr, Galliard, 
who gives the following account of him, viz. ¢ That he refined the 
« manner of finging in Italy, which was then a little crude ;. and that 
« his merit in this is acknowledged by all his countrymen, and con- 
« tradicted by none: That when he firft appeared to the world, and 
© a youth, he had a very fine treble voice, but by a diffolute life loft 
‘ it: That after fome years he recovered a little glimpfe of voice, 
¢ which by time and practice turned into a fine contralto; that he 


* Lettere Familiari e Critiche di Vincenzio Martinelli. Londra, 1758. 
+ This was a name of diftintion given to him on his performing the charaQter of Sy- 
phax in ap opeia, and in confequence thereof his truc name was forgotten. 


© tools 


Chap.10. AND PRACTICE OF MUSIC. 295 


* took care of it, and, travelling all Europe over, where hearing dif- 
‘ ferent manners and taftes, he appropriated them to himéelf, 
¢ and formed that agreeable mixture which he produced in Italy, 
« where he was imitated and admired.’ Mr. Galliard concludes this 
charaéter of Piftocchi with the mention of a remark, which he feems 
to acqniefce in, viz. that though feveral of his difciples fhewed the im- 
provement they had from him, yet others made an ill ufe of it, hav- 
ing not a little contributed to the introduction of the modern tafte- 

-To proceed with the fchool of Bologna. Mr. Martinelli adds, the 
mott celebrated {cholars of Piftocchi were Bernacchi * and Pafi, both 
of Bologna, and his countrymen ; the former he fays has acquired 
the applanfe of a few enthufiafts, who are fond of difficulties, by his 
fill and ingenuity in running over the moft hard paflages of mufic 
in the fhort {pace of an Arietta; but that he was never fo fuccefsful 
as to pleafe the generality, becaufe he often neglected the fentiment 
which he had to exprefs, in order to give a Joofe to his fancy ; be- 
fides, he adds, his voice was little pleafing, and his figure wanted 
confequence. On the contrary, he fays, that Pafi retained none of 
the leffons of*his mafter, but what were neceflary in order to fet off a 
voice, which, though weak, was exceedingly agreeable; a circum- 
ftance, that, joined to an advantageous figure, procured him ina fhort 
time the reputation of the moft perfect finger that had appeared upon: 
the ftage. The fame author mentions Porpora as the inftru€tor of Fa- 
rinelliand other celebrated fingers, and who, as he taught his pupils a 
manner of finging till then unknown, is, as well as Bernacchi, con- 
fidered as the founder of a {chool which will be mentioned in a fu- 
ture page +. 

While the propofal for an academy was under confideration, and: 
to accelerate the carrying of it into execution, Mr. Handel fet him- 
{elf to compofe the opera of Radamiftus, and caufed it to be repre- 
fented at the Haymarket theatre in the winter of the year 1720: 
The applaufe with which it was received cannot be better related 
than in the words of the anonymous author of Memoirs of the Life 

* Antonio Bernacchi: One of that name fung at London in the opera of Lotharius, 
reprefented in the year 172g, but with little applaufe, though he was allowed to bea 
great matter. ; 

+ The cant of all profeilions is difgufting, and that of the mufical connoiffeurs moft fo, 
as it is ever dictated by ignorance and affe€tation. Neverthelefs as the term fchool, as 
applied to mufical performance, may be thought technical, we choofe rather to adopt it 


than exprefs it by a periphrafis, 


of; 


ao So 


206 HISTORY OF THE SCIENCE  BookidIl. 
of Mr. Handel, publifhed in the year 1760, which are as folloxw:: Fle 


* perfons who are now living, and who were prefent at that per- 
* formance, may be credited, the applaufe it received was almoft as 
* extravagant as his Agrippina had excited ; the crouds and tumults 
‘ of the houfe at Venice were hardly equal to thofeat London. In 
* fo fplendid and fafhionable an afflembly of ladies, to the excellence 
‘ of their tafte we muft impute it, there was no fhadow of form or 
‘ ceremony, ‘fcarce indeed any appearance of order or regularity, po- 
‘ litenefs or decency: Many, who had forced their way into the 
houfe with an impetuofity but ill fuited to their rank and fex, ac- 
« tually fainted through the exceflive heat and clofenefs of it; feveral 
gentlemen were turned back who had offered forty fhillings for a 
featin the gallery, after having defpaired of getting any in the pit 
*-or boxes.’ 

The performance of the opera of Radamiftus had imprefled upon 
the friends of Handel, and indeed upon the public in general, a deep 
fenfe of his abilities. It received great advantages from the per- 
formance ; for Senefino fung in it that admirable air, ‘ Ombra Cara,’ 
and Duraftanti others; but, to remove all fufpicion that the ap- 
plaufe of the public was paid to the reprefentation, and not to the in- 
trinfic merit of the work, Handel publifhed it himfelf, having pre- 
vioufly obtained a licence under the fign manual, dated 14 June, 
1720, for fecuring to him the property in that, and fuch other of his 
works as he fhould afterwards publith *. 

Whoever perufes the opera of Radamiftus, will find abundant rea- 
fon to acquiefce in the high opinion that was entertained of it. The 
airs in it are all excellent, but thofe of chief note are, * Deh fuggi un 
‘-traditore,’ * Son contenta di moire,’ * Doppo torbide procelle,’ 
* Ombra Cara,’ ¢ Spero placare,’ * La forte il ciel amor,’ and ¢ Vanne 
* forella ingrata +.’ The performance and the publication jointly 
operated in bringing the interefts of the three rivals to a crifis: Nei- 


hal 





* It was in the title-page faid-to be publifhed by the author, and printed and fold by 
Richard Meares, mufical inftrument maker, and mufic printer in St. Paul’s church-yard, 
and by Chriftopher Smith, at the Hand and Mufic-book in Coventry ftreet, near the 
Haymarket, and no where elfe in England. 

+ There is in this opera a fhort air, ‘ Cara Spofa,’ in the key of A, with the greater 
third, which is to bediflinguifhed from one with the fame beginning in the opera of Ri- 
naldo in E, with the lefler third, which is a ftudied compofition, for this reafon that Mr, 
Handel looked upon the two airs, ¢ Cara Spofa,’ and ‘ Ombra Cara,’ as the two finelt he 
ever made, and declared this his opinion to the author of this work. : 

ther 


Chap.10. AND PRACTICE OF MUSIC. 297 


ther was difpofed to yield, and the friends of each concurred in a 
propofal that Handel, Bononcini, and Attilio fhould in conjunétion 
compofe an opera, that is to fay, each of them an att, asalfo an over~ 
ture: The opera was Mutius Scevola; Bononcini fet the firft ad, 
Attilio the fecond, and Handel the third, the fongs and the overture 
in the firft and third are in print, and we are enabled to make a com- 
parifon between Handel and Bononcini, but of Attilio’s part of the 
work we can fay nothing. 

The iffue of this conteft determined the point of precedence be- 
tween Handel and his competitors: His a& in Mutius Scevola was 
pronounced fuperior to the others, and Bononcini’s next in merit. 
This victory however was not productive of thofe confequences that 
fome might hope for; it did not reduce the adverfaries of Handel to 
the neceffity of a precipitate retreat, nor even leave the conqueror in 
poffeffion of the field of battle, for both Bononcini and Attilio con- 
tinued to compofe for the opera after the difpute ; and indeed the 
fineft compofitions of each, as namely, Aftartus, Crifpus, Grifelda, 
Pharnaces, Calphurnia, Erminia, Aftyanax, by the former; and 
Coriolanus, Vefpafian, Artaxerxes, Darius, and Lucius Verus, by 
the latter, were compofed and performed with the applaufe feverally 
due to them, between the years 1721 and 1727 *. 

Of the fingers in the Royal Academy two only have as yet been 
particularly mentioned, that is to fay, Senefino and Duraftanti ; and 
thefe had the greateft fhare in the performance: There were others 
however of fuch diftinguifhed merit, as to deferve to be noticed, as 
namely, Signor Gaetano Berenftadt, whom Mr. Handel had brought 
from Drefden with the two former, and Bofchi, for whom were com- 
pofed thofe two celebrated bafs fongs, ¢ Del minacciar del vento,’ in 
Otho, and * Deh Cupido,’ in Rodelinda; and when thefe went off, 
their places were fupplied by Pacini, Borofini, Baldi, Antenori, Pal- 
mieri, and others. Of female fingers there were alfo fome whofe 
merits were too confiderable to be forgotten: there were two of the 
fame name, viz. Robinfon, though no way related to each other ; 
one of them, Mrs. Anaftafia Robinfon, afterwards countefs of Peter- 
borough, will be fpoken of hereafter ; the other was the daughter of 
Dr, William Turner, and the wife of Mr. John Robinfon, organift 


* Elpidia and Elifa were performed in the year 1725, but by whom they were com- 
pofed is not known. 


VoL. V. Teel of 


298 HISTORY OF THE SCIENCE Book III. 


of Weftminfler-abbey, already mentioned; for which reafon, and 
to diftinguith her from the former, fhe was called Mrs. Turner Ro- 
binfon *. Soon after the eftablifhment of the Royal Academy Mr. 
Handel had engaged Signora Cuzzoni, who fung with unrivalled ap- 
plaufe till the year 1726, when Signora Fauftina came hither, and 
became a competitor with her for the public favour, and fucceeded 
fo well in her endeavours to obtain it, as to divide the mufical world 
into two parties, not lefs violent in their enmity to.each other than 
any that we read of in hiftory. 

An account of the difpute between thefe two famous fingers, equal- 
ly excellent, but in different ways, will be referved for a future page: 
In the interim it is to be remarked, that the eftablifhment of the 
opera gave a new turn to the fentiments and manners of the young 
nobility and gentry of this kingdom: Moft of thefe were great fre- 
quenters of the opera; they profeffed to admire the mufic, and next 
to that the language in which they were written ; many of them be- 
came the fcholars of the inftrumental performers, and by them were 
taught the practice of the violin, the violoncello, and the harpfichord. 
Others, who were ambitious of being able to converfe with the 
fingers, efpecially with the females ; to utter with a grace the excla- 
mations ufed to teftify applaufe, and to be expert in ‘the ufe of all 
the cant phrafes which mufical connoiffeurs affect, fet themfelves to 
Jearn the Italian language ; and in proportion to their progref$ in it 
were more or lefs bufy behind the {cenes, and in other refpedts trou- 
blefome and impertinent. 

Who was the firft writer in England of Italian operas is now only 
known in the inftance of Etearcus, written by Haym, and reprefent- 
edin 1711; unlefs it can be fuppofed that Roffi, the author of Ri- 
naldo, had been fufficiently encouraged to a fecond attempt of that 
kind ; however, at the time of the eftablifhment of the Academy 
the directors took care to engage in their fervice one whofe abilities 
as a poet were never queftioned, namely, Paolo Antonio Rolli. This 
perfon was a Florentine by birth, and, notwithftanding his preten- 
fions to an honourable defcent, was, as it is afferted by a gentle- 
man who knew him in England, originally of a very mean occupa- 
tion, that is to fay, a maker of vermicelli; in plain Englifh a paftry- 

* She is fo called in the opera of Narciflus, compofed by Domenico, the fon of Aleflan- 


dro Scarlatti, with additional fongs by Refeingrave, and performed at the theatre in the 
Naymarket in 1720, . 


cook > 


a on 


Chap. 10. AND PRACTICE OF MUSIC. 299, 


cook ; but having a talent fer poetry, he cultivated it with great affi- 
duity; and in fome little fongs, cantatas, and occafional poems, by him 
publifhed from time to time, gave proofs of his genius. He came into 
England about the year 1718, and wrote for the managers the opera of 
Narciffus; Rolli wrote alfo Mutius Scevola, Numitor, Floridante, 
Aftartus, Grifelda, and Crifpus*, and, in fhort, moft of the operas ex- 
hibited under the direction of the Royal Academy: Elpidia, reprefent- 
edin 1725, was written by Apoftolo Zeno. Findingin the Englith that 
frequented the opera a propenfity to the ftudy of the Italian language, 
Rolli became a teacher of it to thofe who were able to make him fuch 
gratifications, as men poffeffed with a high fenfe of their own merits 
are wont to require. - Being a man of afliduity, he applied himfelf to 
the publication of valuable books written in his own language, as. 
namely, the Decameron of Boccace, the Satires of Ariofto, the Opere: 
burlefche of Francefco Berni, Giovanni della Cafco, and other Italian 
poets, and the tranflation of Lucretius by Aleflandro Marchetti. For 
the improvement of his {cholars he alfo tranflated into Italian two of 
Sir Richard Steele’s comedies, viz. the Confcious Lovers and the Fune- 
ral, and alfo the Paradife Loft of Milton; upon which it is to be re- 
marked, that, being of the Romifh communion, he has left out the 
Limbo of Vanity, and that fome of the copies were printed on blue: 
paper. In the year 1744 he quitted England, and retired, as it is faid,. 
to the enjoyment of a patrimonial eftate in the Campania of Rome,, 
afluming the title of a Roman fenator. : 

Befides the fingers, the inftrumental performers in the opera de-- 
ferve fome notice ; Corbett played the firft violin at the time when 
they were firft introduced : To him fucceeded Claudio, an Italian, a. 
found and jadicious performer ; but when the entertainment was put 
upon a new and better footing, Carbonelli was placed at the head of 
the orcheftra. He continued in that ftation about feven years, and: 
was fucceeded by Pietro Caftrucci. Mr. Galliard played the firtt 
hautboy, and Kenny, mentioned before in the life of Purcell. by. the 
miftaken name of Kennedy, the baffoon.. 

* The fubje& of the opera of Grifelda is the well-known flory of the marquifs of Sa-. 
Juzzo and Grifelda, related by Boccace, and is the Clerk of Oxford’s tale in Chaucer. 
See vol. II. page 2g, It is known to the vulgar by an old ballad entitled Patient Grifel,, 
beginning ¢ A noble marquis ashe did ride ahunting.’ It feems that at the time of per- 
forming the operas of Grifelda and Crifpus, theic comparative merits were the fubject of 
2. difpute that divided the ladies into parties, one whereof preferred the former, the other, 


the latter. ‘Uhis difference of opinion is take notice of by Sir Richard Stoele in his ca- 
medy of the Confcious Lovers, ACLIL 

 

 





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