Giordani, Giuseppe
Giordani, Giuseppe
Giordani, Giuseppe, Italian composer, called Giordanello; b. Naples, Dec. 9, 1743; d. Fermo, Jan. 4, 1798. He studied with Fenaroli at the S. Loreto Cons, in Naples, where Cimarosa and Zingarelli were his fellow students. His 2nd opera, Epponina, was given in Florence in 1779. He continued to write operas for various Italian towns, but they were not outstanding, and few of the 30-odd he wrote have survived. He also wrote several oratorios and church music. From 1791 until his death he was maestro di cappella at the Fermo Cathedral. He is sometimes credited with II bacio and other operas and works produced in London by Tommaso Giordani; Giuseppe was not related to Tommaso, and never left Italy. The famous song “Caro mio ben”, popularized in London by Pacchierotti, was probably written by Giuseppe.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire