Cambini, Giuseppe Maria (Gioacchino)
Cambini, Giuseppe Maria (Gioacchino)
Cambini, Giuseppe Maria (Gioacchino), Italian composer; b. Livorno, Feb. 13?, 1746; d. probably in Paris, 1825. Nothing is known about his early years with any certainty. By 1767 he was a violisi in a quartet with Boccherini, Manfredi, and Nardini. He settled in Paris about 1770. On May 20, 1773, he appeared as a violinist at the Concert Spirituel, his only known public appearance there. He subsequently devoted himself to composition. About 1787 he became director of the Théâtre des Beaujolais, where seven of his opéras-comiques were premiered. In 1791 he became conductor of the Théâtre Louvois, where he was active until 1794. Cambini was a prolific composer. Hundreds of his works were publ, in Paris between 1773 and 1789. Of his 14 stage works, only La statue (Paris, Aug. 2[?], 1784) and Le tuteur avare (Paris, March 1, 1788) are extant in full. Although he had some success as a composer for the stage, he won great popularity with his instrumental music. He wrote over 80 symphonies concertantes, which secured his reputation. He also composed several syms. and concertos, and numerous quintets, quartets, trios, duos, and solo pieces, as well as sacred and secular vocal works. He likewise publ, methods for the violin (Paris, c. 1795) and the flute (Paris, 1799).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire