Manelli, Francesco
Manelli, Francesco
Manelli, Francesco, Italian composer and bass; b. Tivoli, Sept. 1594; d. Parma, July 1667. He became a chorister at Tivoli Cathedral about 1605, where he later was cantore ordinario (1609–24) and maestro di cappella (1627–29). During a sojourn in Rome, he married the singer Madalena in 1625. By 1637 he was in Venice, where he wrote and sang in the opera L’Andromeda for the opening of the Teatro S. Cassiano, the first public opera house. In 1638 he became a member of the choir at San Marco. In 1639 his opera La Delia inaugurated the new Teatro SS. Giovanni e Paolo. He later went to Parma as a member of the choir of S. Maria della Steccato, while his wife was in the service of the court. He also was in the service of the Duke of Parma from 1645. Although the music to his operas is lost, some librettos are extant. His vocal collection Ciaccone et arie, libro terzo, op.3 (Rome, 1629) survives.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire