Francesco Sacrati
Encyclopedia
Francesco Sacrati was an Italian
composer of the Baroque
era, who played an important role in the early history of opera. He wrote for the Teatro Novissimo in Venice
as well as touring his operas throughout Italy. His most famous piece is La finta pazza ("The Feigned Madwoman", 1641), said to be the first opera ever performed in France (in 1645). The manuscript of this work was long thought to be lost but a touring edition of the manuscript was discovered by musicologist Lorenzo Bianconi in 1984. Some of the music bears striking similarities to the score of Monteverdi's L'incoronazione di Poppea
, prompting scholars to speculate that Sacrati had a part in composing the surviving version of that opera. The United States premier of La finta pazza, and first performance outside of Europe, occurred in April of 2010 at Yale University.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
composer of the Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
era, who played an important role in the early history of opera. He wrote for the Teatro Novissimo in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
as well as touring his operas throughout Italy. His most famous piece is La finta pazza ("The Feigned Madwoman", 1641), said to be the first opera ever performed in France (in 1645). The manuscript of this work was long thought to be lost but a touring edition of the manuscript was discovered by musicologist Lorenzo Bianconi in 1984. Some of the music bears striking similarities to the score of Monteverdi's L'incoronazione di Poppea
L'incoronazione di Poppea
L'incoronazione di Poppea is an Italian baroque opera comprising a prologue and three acts, first performed in Venice during the 1642–43 carnival season. The music, attributed to Claudio Monteverdi, is a setting of a libretto by Giovanni Francesco Busenello...
, prompting scholars to speculate that Sacrati had a part in composing the surviving version of that opera. The United States premier of La finta pazza, and first performance outside of Europe, occurred in April of 2010 at Yale University.
Operas
- La Delia (1639)
- La finta pazza (1641)
- Bellerofonte (1642)
- Venere gelosa (1643)
- L'Ulisse errante (1644)
- La Semiramide in India (1648)
- L'isola di Alcina (1648)
- Ergasto (1650)
Source
- Viking Opera Guide (ed. Holden, 1993)
- Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, Centennial Edition. Nicolas Slonimsky, Editor Emeritus. Schirmer, 2001.