Manzuoli, Giovanni

views updated

Manzuoli, Giovanni

Manzuoli, Giovanni, famous Italian castrato soprano; b. Florence, c. 1720; d. there, 1782. He began his operatic career in Florence in 1731. After appearing in Verona (1735), he sang in Naples (until 1748). He appeared in Madrid (1749–52), Parma (1754), Lisbon (1755), and once again in Madrid (1755). He subsequently was active in Italy until 1764. In 1760 he made a visit to Vienna, where he scored a major success. In 1764–65 he appeared to great acclaim at the King’s Theatre in London. During his London sojourn, he became friends of the Mozart family. Following further appearances in Verona, Turin, Venice, and Milan, he was made chamber singer to the Grand Duke of Tuscany in 1768. In 1771 he made his farewell public appearance in Milan.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire