Quirino Gasparini
Encyclopedia
Quirino Gasparini was an Italian composer
, born in Gandino
, near Bergamo
, Italy. He studied for the priesthood, but largely devoted his life to music, becoming maestro de capello at Turin
's cathedral. His compositions are mainly of church music, including a Stabat Mater which is still performed occasionally. He also wrote several operas, including a 1767 setting of Vittorio Amadeo Cigna-Santi's libretto Mitridate, which three years later was set by the 14-year-old Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
for the 1770 Milan
carnival. One of Gasparini's arias, preferred by the tenor singer over Mozart's version of it, was sung at the Milan performance and is still included in modern publications of the opera's score. According to some accounts, Gasparini tried to subvert the Milan prima donna, Antonia Bernasconi, attempting to persuade her to sing his settings of her arias rather than Mozart's. His ruse was, however, unsuccessful.
Gasparini died in Turin in 1778.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, born in Gandino
Gandino
Gandino is a comune in the Province of Bergamo in the Italian region of Lombardy, located about 70 km northeast of Milan and about 20 km northeast of Bergamo...
, near Bergamo
Bergamo
Bergamo is a town and comune in Lombardy, Italy, about 40 km northeast of Milan. The comune is home to over 120,000 inhabitants. It is served by the Orio al Serio Airport, which also serves the Province of Bergamo, and to a lesser extent the metropolitan area of Milan...
, Italy. He studied for the priesthood, but largely devoted his life to music, becoming maestro de capello at Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
's cathedral. His compositions are mainly of church music, including a Stabat Mater which is still performed occasionally. He also wrote several operas, including a 1767 setting of Vittorio Amadeo Cigna-Santi's libretto Mitridate, which three years later was set by the 14-year-old Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
for the 1770 Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
carnival. One of Gasparini's arias, preferred by the tenor singer over Mozart's version of it, was sung at the Milan performance and is still included in modern publications of the opera's score. According to some accounts, Gasparini tried to subvert the Milan prima donna, Antonia Bernasconi, attempting to persuade her to sing his settings of her arias rather than Mozart's. His ruse was, however, unsuccessful.
Gasparini died in Turin in 1778.