Vincenzo Fabrizi
Encyclopedia
Vincenzo Fabrizi was an Italian
composer of opera buffa
.
Little is known of Fabrizi’s life, perhaps because of his many journeys to various parts of Italy and Europe. He was born in Naples
in 1764 and studied under the guidance of Giacomo Tritto
. The Neapolitan Carnival
of 1783 saw his first premiere: the intermezzo I tre gobbi rivali. In 1786 he was appointed maestro di cappella at the University of Rome
and later, in the same city, became director of the Teatro Capranica.
Some three years later Fabrizi began to travel further afield to put on his works, spending time in Dresden
, Lisbon
, London
and Madrid
. Of his works about fifteen opera buffe
are known, largely composed during the years 1783–1788. Like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
and Giuseppe Gazzaniga
, he composed a version of Don Giovanni. It premiered in Rome in 1787 under the title Il convitato di pietra.
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 opera buffa
Opera buffa
Opera buffa is a genre of opera. It was first used as an informal description of Italian comic operas variously classified by their authors as ‘commedia in musica’, ‘commedia per musica’, ‘dramma bernesco’, ‘dramma comico’, ‘divertimento giocoso' etc...
.
Little is known of Fabrizi’s life, perhaps because of his many journeys to various parts of Italy and Europe. He was born in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
in 1764 and studied under the guidance of Giacomo Tritto
Giacomo Tritto
Giacomo Domenico Mario Antonio Pasquale Giuseppe Tritto was an Italian composer, known primarily for his 54 operas. He was born in Altamura, and studied in Naples; among his teachers were Nicola Fago, Girolamo Abos, and Pasquale Cafaro. One of his pupil was Ferdinando Orlandi...
. The Neapolitan Carnival
Carnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
of 1783 saw his first premiere: the intermezzo I tre gobbi rivali. In 1786 he was appointed maestro di cappella at the University of Rome
University of Rome La Sapienza
The Sapienza University of Rome, officially Sapienza – Università di Roma, formerly known as Università degli studi di Roma "La Sapienza", is a coeducational, autonomous state university in Rome, Italy...
and later, in the same city, became director of the Teatro Capranica.
Some three years later Fabrizi began to travel further afield to put on his works, spending time in Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
, Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
. Of his works about fifteen opera buffe
Opera buffa
Opera buffa is a genre of opera. It was first used as an informal description of Italian comic operas variously classified by their authors as ‘commedia in musica’, ‘commedia per musica’, ‘dramma bernesco’, ‘dramma comico’, ‘divertimento giocoso' etc...
are known, largely composed during the years 1783–1788. Like 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...
and Giuseppe Gazzaniga
Giuseppe Gazzaniga
Giuseppe Gazzaniga was a member of the Neapolitan school of opera composers. He composed fifty-one operas and is considered to be one of the last Italian opera buffa composers.-Biography:...
, he composed a version of Don Giovanni. It premiered in Rome in 1787 under the title Il convitato di pietra.
Works
A list of Fabrizi’s known works, together with genre, librettist, and date and place of first performance:- I tre gobbi rivali (intermezzo, libretto by Carlo GoldoniCarlo GoldoniCarlo Osvaldo Goldoni was an Italian playwright and librettist from the Republic of Venice. His works include some of Italy's most famous and best-loved plays. Audiences have admired the plays of Goldoni for their ingenious mix of wit and honesty...
, 1783, NaplesNaplesNaples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
) - La ncessità non ha legge (opera buffa, 1784, BolognaBolognaBologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
) - I due castellani burlati (opera buffa, libretto by Filippo Livigni, 1785, Bologna)
- La sposa invisibile (intermezzo, 1786, RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
) - La contessa di Novara (opera buffa, libretto by Giovanni BertatiGiovanni BertatiGiovanni Bertati is an Italian librettist.In 1763, Bertati wrote his first libretto, La morte di Dimone , set to music by Antonio Tozzi. Two years later, L'isola della fortuna , based on Bertati's libretto and Andrea Luchesi's music, was performed in Vienna...
, 1786, VeniceVeniceVenice 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...
) - L'amore per interesse (opera buffa, libretto by Giovanni Bertati, 1786, PaduaPaduaPadua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having...
) - Chi la fa l'aspetti ossia I puntigli di gelosia (opera buffa, libretto by Filippo Livigni, 1786, FlorenceFlorenceFlorence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
) - La nobiltà villana (opera buffa, 1787, Rome)
- Gli amanti trappolieri (opera buffa, libretto by Giuseppe Palomba, 1787, Naples)
- Il convitato di pietra ossia il Don Giovanni (opera buffa, libretto by Giovanni Battista Lorenzi, 1787, Rome)
- Il viaggiatore sfortunato in amore (dramma giocoso, libretto by Bellani, 1787, Rome)
- Il caffè di Barcellona (opera buffa, 1788, Barcellona)
- Il Colombo e La scoperata delle Indie (farsa per musica, 1788, Rome)
- L'incontro per accidente ossia Il maestro di cappella (opera buffa, libretto by Giovanni Maria Diodati, 1788, Naples)
- Impresario in rovina (dramma giocoso, libretto by Antonio Piazza, 1797, Casale MonferratoCasale MonferratoCasale Monferrato, population 36,058, is a town and comune in the Piedmont region of north-west Italy, part of the province of Alessandria. It is situated about 60 km east of Turin on the right bank of the Po, where the river runs at the foot of the Montferrato hills. Beyond the river lies the...
)