Salvatore Pappalardo (composer)
Encyclopedia
Salvatore Pappalardo was an Italian
composer
and conductor
.
Born in Catania
, Pappalardo began his studies in his home city before entering the Palermo Conservatory where he studied under Pietro Raimondi
. He worked as a music teacher and was a conductor at the opera house in Catania until he moved to Naples in 1845 when he was made the court composer for Leopoldo di Borbone, the Count of Siracusa. He later worked as a teacher of music theory and composition in Naples. He died in Naples in 1884.
Pappalardo's work as a composer was mainly directed towards composing opera
s and other music for the theatre. He composed eight operas: Francesca da Rimini (1844), Il corsaro (Naples, 1846), La figlia del Doge (Catania, 1855), L'atrabiliare (Naples, 1856), Mirinda (Naples, 1860), Gustavo Wasa (Naples, 1865), Le diavolesse (Naples, 1878), and Le due ambasciatrici (never performed). He also composed a significant amount of church music. His most successful and innovative music however, was his chamber music
; particularly his collection of art songs for voice and piano and a collection of string quartet
s and quintets. His chamber music was played throughout Italy and Germany.
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
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...
and conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
.
Born in Catania
Catania
Catania is an Italian city on the east coast of Sicily facing the Ionian Sea, between Messina and Syracuse. It is the capital of the homonymous province, and with 298,957 inhabitants it is the second-largest city in Sicily and the tenth in Italy.Catania is known to have a seismic history and...
, Pappalardo began his studies in his home city before entering the Palermo Conservatory where he studied under Pietro Raimondi
Pietro Raimondi
Pietro Raimondi was an Italian composer, transitional between the Classical and Romantic eras...
. He worked as a music teacher and was a conductor at the opera house in Catania until he moved to Naples in 1845 when he was made the court composer for Leopoldo di Borbone, the Count of Siracusa. He later worked as a teacher of music theory and composition in Naples. He died in Naples in 1884.
Pappalardo's work as a composer was mainly directed towards composing opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
s and other music for the theatre. He composed eight operas: Francesca da Rimini (1844), Il corsaro (Naples, 1846), La figlia del Doge (Catania, 1855), L'atrabiliare (Naples, 1856), Mirinda (Naples, 1860), Gustavo Wasa (Naples, 1865), Le diavolesse (Naples, 1878), and Le due ambasciatrici (never performed). He also composed a significant amount of church music. His most successful and innovative music however, was his chamber music
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
; particularly his collection of art songs for voice and piano and a collection of string quartet
String quartet
A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – usually two violin players, a violist and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group...
s and quintets. His chamber music was played throughout Italy and Germany.