Monti
Monti
Monti, family of Italian musicians:
(1) Anna Maria Monti, singer; b. Rome, 1704; d. probably in Naples, after 1727. She was only 13 when she made her debut in the 2nd comedienne’s role in the Piscopo-De Falco dialect opera Lo mbruoglio d’ammore at the Teatro dei Fiorentini in Naples, where she sang until 1727.
(2) Laura Monti, singer, sister of the preceding; b. probably in Rome, afer 1704; d. Naples, 1760. After appearing in comic roles at the Teatro Nuovo in Naples, she sang at the royal theater S. Bartolomeo in that city (1733–35), where she created roles in operas by Hasse, Leo, and Pergolesi, including the latter’s Serpina in La Serva padrona (1733). She was active at the court until her retirement around 1746.
(3) Marianna Monti, soprano, cousin of the two preceding; b. Naples, 1730; d. there, 1814. She made her debut in the Trinchera-Conforto opera La finta vedova at the Teatro dei Fiorentini in 1746. She sang there and at the Teatro Nuovo until 1759, and also appeared in concerts under the patronage of the Marchese di Ger ace. From 1760 to 1780 Monti was the outstanding prima buffa in Naples, creating numerous roles in operas by Cimarosa, Jommelli, Logroscino, Paisiello, Piccinni, and Sacchini. Her last years were blighted by poverty until she was granted a royal pension in 1812.
(4) Gaetano Monti, organist and composer, brother of the preceding; b. Naples, c. 1750; d. probably there, c. 1816. He was organista straordinario at the Philippine Tesoro di S. Gennaro in Naples from 1776 to about 1788. He wrote a number of operas, many with roles composed especially for his sister. His most successful stage works were Le donne vendicate (Naples, Oct. 17, 1781; also known as II gigante) and Lo studente (Naples, 1783; not extant).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire