Ferrari, Giacomo Gotifredo
Ferrari, Giacomo Gotifredo
Ferrari, Giacomo Gotifredo, Italian composer;b. Rovereto, Tirol (baptized), April 2, 1763; d. London, Dec. 1842. He studied harpsichord and voice with Marcolla and Borsaro in Verona, counterpoint and theory with Stecher at the Marienberg monastery in Switzerland, and counterpoint with Latilla in Naples. In 1787 he became a court musician at the Tuileries in Paris, and was active as accompanist to the queen, voice teacher to the nobility, and maestro al cembalo at the Theatre de Monsieur. After the French Revolution, he settled in London in 1792 and pursued his career as a composer and voice teacher; among his students was the Prince of Wales. He publ. Breve tratto di canto italiano (London, 1818; Eng. tr., 1818, by W. Shield as Concise Treatise on Italian Singing), Studio di musica teorica pratica (London, 1830), and Anedotti piacevoli e interessanti occorsi nella vita Giacomo Gotifredo Ferrari da Rovereto (London, 1830).
Works
DRAMATIC Opera (all 1st perf. in London): I due Svizzeri (May 14, 1799); II Rinaldo d’Asti (March 16, 1802); L’eroina di Raab (April 8, 1813); Lo Sbaglio fortunato (May 8, 1817). OTHER: 2 ballets; 2 piano concertos; trios; about 40 sonatas for Piano with violin or flute accompaniment; 12 piano sonatas; etc.
Bibliography
E. Zaniboni, G.G. F. musicista e viaggiatore (Trent, 1907); D. Fino, G.G. R, musicista roveretano (Trent, 1928).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire