Sigizmondi, Giuseppe

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Sigizmondi, Giuseppe

Sigismondi, Giuseppe, Italian librarian, historian, singing teacher, and composer; b. Naples, Nov. 13, 1739; d. there, May 10, 1826. He studied law (degree, 1759), and received instruction in singing, figured bass, and counterpoint, taking lessons with Durante and later with Porpora (1761–67). He wrote comedies for an amateur theater company, and also composed 2 stage pieces, sacred and secular vocal works, and pieces for organ and for harpsichord. However, he became best known as a singing teacher. He served as archivistlibrarian at the Pietà dei Turchini Cons. (from 1794). He prepared a 4 vol. MS, Apoteosi della musica del regno di Napoli in tre ultimi transundati secoli (1820), which was reworked and publ, by Villarosa as Memorie dei compositori di musica del regno di Napoli (Naples, 1840).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire