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Niccolo Antonio ZingarelliItalian composer.
Date of Birth: 04.04.1752
Country:  Italy |
Content:
- Niccolò Zingarelli: Italian Composer and Master of Sacred Music
- Parisian Interlude and Sacred Music
- Papal Choirmaster and Imperial Favor
- Later Years and Legacy
Niccolò Zingarelli: Italian Composer and Master of Sacred Music
Early Career and Operatic TriumphsNiccolò Zingarelli, an esteemed Italian composer, began his career primarily composing operas. His first opera, "Montezuma," was staged in 1781. From 1785 to 1803, he collaborated closely with the prestigious Teatro alla Scala in Milan, where his "Romeo and Juliet" (1796) stands out as a pinnacle of his operatic achievements.
Parisian Interlude and Sacred Music
In 1789, Zingarelli traveled to Paris to compose and stage his opera "Antigone." However, the outbreak of the French Revolution forced him to flee back to Italy. Following this, he penned the opera "Oedipus at Colonus" (1802) and his final operatic work, "Berenice," in 1811.
Despite his operatic success, Zingarelli's primary legacy lies in his sacred music. He penned hundreds of ecclesiastical compositions, including masses, oratorios, and the like. His final oratorio was completed just a month before his death at the age of 85.
Papal Choirmaster and Imperial Favor
From 1804 to 1811, Zingarelli served as Choirmaster of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. He was dismissed from this position after refusing to conduct a mass for the coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte's son as King of Rome. Napoleon, an admirer of Zingarelli's music, pardoned him and bestowed upon him a state pension.
Later Years and Legacy
In 1813, Zingarelli became Director of the Naples Conservatory, where one of his students was the renowned Vincenzo Bellini. Finally, in 1816, he succeeded Giovanni Paisiello as Choirmaster of the Naples Cathedral, a position he held until his passing.
