Babbi, (Pietro Giovanni) Cristoforo (Bartolomeo Gasparre)
Babbi, (Pietro Giovanni) Cristoforo (Bartolomeo Gasparre)
Babbi, (Pietro Giovanni) Cristoforo (Bartolomeo Gasparre), Italian violinist and composer, son of Gregorio (Lorenzo) Babbi; b. Cesena, May 6, 1745; d. Dresden, Nov. 19, 1814. He studied violin, counterpoint, and composition with Paolo Alberghi in Faenza; subsequently was primo violino at the festas there (1766, 1769, 1770, 1772) and also played in the orch. of the Rimini Opera (1773). In 1774 he was elected a member of the Accademia Filarmonica of Bologna, then was maestro di cappella at the Teatro Comunale there (1775–78). In 1779 he became primo violino and direttore d’orchestra in Forli. He was called to Dresden in 1781 as provisional Konzertmeister, receiving a permanent appointment in 1782, and proceeded to reorganize the Kapelle. He held an equal place with J.G. Naumann, the Dresden Kapellmeister. He composed operas.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire