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Biography
Pacini was born in Catania, Sicily, to the son of the buffo Luigi Pacini, who was to appear in the premieres of many of Giovanni's operas. The family was of Tuscan origin, and just happened to be in Catania when the composer was born.
During his lifetime, Pacini wrote some 74 operas. This is less than earlier estimates, which ranged from 80 to 90, since it has now been ascertained that many were just alternate titles for other works. His first 25 or so operas were written when Rossini dominated the Italian operatic stage. They were, not surprisingly, in the fashionable Rossini style.
After Rossini moved to Paris in 1824, Pacini and his contemporaries (Meyerbeer, Vaccai, Carafa, Coccia, Bellini, Donizetti, the Ricci brothers and Mercadante) collectively began to change the nature of Italian opera and took bel canto singing in a new direction. Orchestration became heavier, coloratura was reduced, especially for men's voices, and more importance was placed on lyrical pathos. While there were exceptions, romantic leads were assigned to tenors (in Rossini's prime, they were frequently sung by women referred to as "musicos"). Villains became basses or later baritones (while they usually were tenors for Rossini). Over time, far more emphasis was to be placed on the drama.
The role that Pacini played in instituting these changes is only now beginning to be recognized. There is little doubt that both Pacini and his contemporary Nicola Vaccai exerted a stronger influence on Bellini than has been credited before. This change in attitude can be credited to the revival of two key works: Vaccai's Giulietta e Romeo and Pacini's L'ultimo giorno di Pompei, both composed in 1825 within a few weeks of each other.
The success of many of Pacini's lighter operas especially Il Barone di Dolsheim, La sposa fedele, and La schiava in Bagdad (all composed between 1818 and 1820) made Pacini one of the most prominent composers in Italy. His position was greatly enhanced by the rapid-fire successes of Alessandro nelle Indie (Naples, 1824, revised, Milan, 1826; given and recorded in London in November 2006), Amazilia (Naples 1824, revised, Vienna, 1827), and the previously mentioned L'Ultimo Giorno di Pompei (Naples, 1825).
In Gli arabi nelle Gallie (Milan, 1827), the title role of Alessandro was created by a high baritone, Andrea Nozzari, but it was sung by the much lighter Giovanni David at the Milan revival, indicating the Pacini's desire to go in a new direction. This opera reached many of the world's most important stages and was the first Pacini opera to be given in the United States. It was staged frequently in Italy, and it was not until 1830 that Bellini's first success, Il pirata (also Milan, 1827) passed Gli arabi nelle Gallie in number of performances at the Teatro alla Scala. While this is not generally recognized, it was Pacini, rather than Donizetti, Mercadante or Bellini, who gave Rossini the stiffest competition in Italy during the 1820s.
Many operas followed that are almost completely forgotten. However, one of these, Il corsaro (Rome, 1831) was revived one hundred sevety-three years later, in 2004, albeit only with piano accompaniment. This work is different in many ways from Verdi's later opera by the same name. The title role, Corrado, is now sung by a musico (armour-bearing contralto) and Seid by a tenor.
As the years passed, Bellini assumed the title of Italy's leading composer. When he died in 1835, it was passed to Donizetti who had more than his share of triumphs. Unfortunately, Pacini was unable to keep-up and many of his ensuing operas over the next few years were failures. Still, a complete recording of Carlo di Borgogna released in early 2002 makes one yearn to hear more Pacini operas, and makes one wonder why it was such a disaster at its premiere. Pacini himself was the first to recognize his apparent defeat and made the following entry in his memoirs: "I began to realize that I must withdraw from the field. Bellini, the divine Bellini, has surpassed me." Some years later, he resumed composing, and, after one more setback, enjoyed his greatest triumph with Saffò (Naples, 1840).
After Saffo, Pacini entered into another period of prominence. Donizetti had departed for Paris and Mercadante's major successes were behind him, thus Verdi offered the only important competition. It was not until 1844 that Verdi eclipsed Pacini with his unparalleled triumph of Ernani. (Successful as Nabucco and I Lombardi were, they were initially less so than Saffo.)
It was in the decade of the 1840s that Pacini enjoyed his most glorious years with one hit after another. These works include La fidanzata corsa (Naples, 1842), Maria, regina d'Inghilterra (Palermo, 1843), Medea (Palermo, 1843 with several later revisions, the last of which was in Naples in 1853), Lorenzino de' Medici (Venice, 1845), Bondelmonte (Florence, 1845), Stella di Napoli (Naples,1845) and La regina di Cipro (Turin, 1846). Allan Cameron (Venice, 1848) is noteworthy because it deals with the youth of King Charles II, before he was crowned King of England. (A particularly exciting aria from this work has recently been recorded by Annick Massis and issued by Opera Rara.)
This period of accomplishments was followed by another, and much longer, period of decline, marked only by the moderate successes of La punizione (Venice, 1854) Il saltimbanco (Rome, 1858) and Nicolo de'Lapi(Florence,1873).
Pacini died in Pescia, Tuscany in 1867. Although he is mostly forgotten today, he produced much music of high calibre and periodic revivals of his works are not without interest. His output of more than 70 stage works is staggering even compared to Rossini (41 operas) and Handel (43 operas), and he will always be remembered, with Donizetti, as one of the most prolific composers in the history of opera.
Operas and their premieres
1813–1819
- Don Pomponio (1813, unfinished)
- Annetta e Lucindo (October 17, 1813 Teatro S. Radegonda, Milan)
- La ballerina raggiratrice (1814 Teatro alla Pergola, Florence)
- L'ambizione delusa (1814 Teatro alla Pergola, Florence)
- L'escavazione del tesoro (December 18, 1814, Pisa)
- Gli sponsali de' silfi (1814–15 Teatro de' Filodrammatici, Milan)
- Bettina vedova (Il seguito di Ser Mercantonio) (1815 Teatro San Moisè, Venice)
- La Rosina (1815 Teatro alla Pergola, Florence)
- La Chiarina (1815 Teatro San Moisè, Venice)
- L'ingenua (May 4, 1816 Teatro S. Benedetto, Venice)
- Il matrimonio per procura (January 2, 1817 Teatro Rè, Milan)
- Dalla beffa il disinganno, ossia La poetessa (1816–17 Teatro Rè, Milan) [revised with new libretto as Il carnevale di Milano (February 23, 1817 Teatro Rè, Milan]
- Piglia il mondo come viene (May 28, 1817 Teatro Rè, Milan)
- I virtuosi di teatro (1817 Teatro Rè, Milan)
- La bottega di caffè (1817 Teatro Rè, Milan)
- Adelaide e Comingio (December 30, 1817 Teatro Rè, Milan) [also known as: Isabella e Florange, Il comingio, Comingio pittore
- Atala (June 1818 Teatro Nuovo, Padua)
- Gl'illinesi (1818, unfinished)
- Il barone di Dolsheim (September 23, 1818 Teatro alla Scala, Milan) [also known as: Federico II re di Prussia, Il barone di Felcheim, La colpa emendata dal valore
- La sposa fedele (January 14, 1819 Teatro S. Benedetto, Venice)
- Il falegname di Livonia (April 12, 1819 Teatro alla Scala, Milan)
1820–1829
- Vallace, o L'eroe scozzese (February 14, 1820 Teatro alla Scala, Milan) [also known as: Odoardo I re d'Inghilterra
- La sacerdotessa d'Irminsul (May 11, 1820 Teatro Grande, Trieste)
- La schiava in Bagdad, ossia Il papucciajo (October 28, 1820 Teatro Carignano, Turin) created by Giuditta Pasta
- La gioventù di Enrico V (December 26, 1820 Teatro Valle, Rome) [also known as: La bella tavernara, ossia Le avventure d'una notte
- Cesare in Egitto (December 26, 1821 Teatro Argentina, Rome) (libretto by Jacopo Ferretti)
- La vestale (February 6, 1823 Teatro alla Scala, Milan)
- Temistocle (August 23, 1823 Teatro Giglio, Lucca)
- Isabella ed Enrico (June 12, 1824 Teatro alla Scala, Milan)
- Alessandro nelle Indie (September 29, 1824 Teatro San Carlo, Naples); revised, Milan Dec.26, 1826
- Amazilia (July 6, 1825 Teatro San Carlo, Naples)
- L'ultimo giorno di Pompei (November 19, 1825 Teatro San Carlo, Naples)
- La gelosia corretta (March 27, 1826 Teatro alla Scala, Milan)
- Niobe (November 19, 1826 Teatro San Carlo, Naples)
- Gli arabi nelle Gallie, ossia Il trionfo della fede (March 8, 1827 Teatro alla Scala, Milan) [revised with additions.: L'ultimo dei clodovei (1855 Théâtre Italien, Paris)]
- Margherita regina d'Inghilterra (November 19, 1827 Teatro San Carlo, Naples) [also known as: Margherita d'Anjou]
- I cavalieri di Valenza (June 11, 1828 Teatro alla Scala, Milan)
- I crociati a Tolemaide, ossia Malek-Adel (November 13, 1828 Teatro Grande, Trieste) [also known as: La morte di Malek-Adel]
- Il talismano, ovvero La terza crociata in Palestina (June 10, 1829 Teatro alla Scala, Milan)
- I fidanzati, ossia Il contestabile di Chester (November 19, 1829 Teatro San Carlo, Naples)
1830–1839
- Giovanna d'Arco (March 14, 1830 Teatro alla Scala, Milan)
- Il corsaro (January 15, 1831 Teatro Apollo, Rome) [rev: 1832 La Scala, Milan]
- Il rinnegato portoghese (1831 Teatro La Fenice, Venice [unperformed])
- Ivanhoe (March 19, 1832 Teatro La Fenice, Venice)
- Don Giovanni Tenorio, o Il convitato di pietra (1832 Casa Belluomini, Viareggio)
- Gli elvezi, ovvero Corrado di Tochemburgo (January 12, 1833 Teatro San Carlo, Naples)
- Fernando duca di Valenza (May 30, 1833 Teatro San Carlo, Naples)
- Irene, o L'assedio di Messina (November 30, 1833 Teatro San Carlo, Naples)
- Carlo di Borgogna (February 21, 1835 Teatro La Fenice, Venice)
- Bellezza e cuor di ferro (1835 Casa Belluomini, Viareggio) [Complete revision of Matilda di Shabran by Rossini, with 3 new numbers by Pacini]
- La foresta d'Hermanstadt (1839 private performances, Viareggio)
- Furio Camillo (December 26, 1839 Teatro Apollo, Rome)
1840–1849
- Saffò (November 29, 1840 Teatro San Carlo, Naples)
- L'uomo del mistero (November 9, 1841 Teatro Nuovo, Naples)
- Il duca d'Alba (February 26, 1842 Teatro La Fenice, Venice) [also known as: Adolfo di Warbel]
- La fidanzata corsa (December 10, 1842 Teatro San Carlo, Naples)
- Maria, regina d'Inghilterra (February 11, 1843 Teatro Carolino, Palermo)
- Medea (November 28, 1843 Teatro Carolino, Palermo) [rev: 1845, Vicenza]
- Luisetta, ossia La cantatrice del molo di Napoli (December 13, 1843 Teatro Nuovo, Naples)
- L'ebrea (February 27, 1844 Teatro alla Scala, Milan)
- Lorenzino de' Medici (March 4, 1845 Teatro La Fenice, Venice) [revised as Rolandino di Torresmondo (1858 Teatro San Carlo, Naples), frequently given as: Elisa Velasco
- Bondelmonte (June 18, 1845 Teatro alla Pergola, Florence) [later known as Buondelmonte
- Stella di Napoli (December 11, 1845 Teatro San Carlo, Naples)
- La regina di Cipro (February 7, 1846 Teatro Regio, Turin)
- Merope (November 25, 1847 Teatro San Carlo, Naples)
- Ester d'Engaddi (February 1, 1848 Teatro Regio, Turin)
- Allan Cameron (March 18, 1848 Teatro La Fenice, Venice) [This opera was revised several times.]
- L'orfana svizzera (1848 Teatro Fondo, Naples)
- Alfrida, ossia Bertolozzi (1849 Unperformed) [existance uncertain]
1850–1859
- Zaffira, o La riconciliazione (November 15, 1851 Teatro Nuovo, Naples)
- Malvina di Scozia (December 27, 1851 Teatro San Carlo, Naples)
- L'assedio di Leida (Elnava) (1852, unfinished)
- Rodrigo di Valenza (1852, not performed) This is very probably an earlier version of Il Cid.
- Il Cid (March 12, 1853 Teatro alla Scala, Milan)
- Romilda di Provenza (December 8, 1853 Teatro San Carlo, Naples)
- La donna delle isole (1854, not performed)
- La punizione (March 8, 1854 Teatro La Fenice, Venice) [originally composed as Lidia di Brabante for Teatro Carolino, Palermo in 1853; revised as Lidia di Bruxelles and Niccolò de' Lapi.
- Margherita Pusterla (February 25, 1856 Teatro San Carlo, Naples)
- I portoghesi nel Brasile 1856 Teatro Italiano, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
- Il saltimbanco (May 24, 1858 Teatro Argentina, Rome)
- Lidia di Bruxelles (October 21, 1858 Teatro Comunale, Bologna); [same work as Niccolò de' Lapi prepared in 1857 for Rio de Janeiro but not performed; posthumous premiere October 29, 1873 with original title Lidia di Bruxelles simply crossed out on score at Teatro Pagliano, Florence]
1860–1867
- Gianni di Nisida (October 29, 1860 Teatro Argentina, Rome)
- Il mulattiere di Toledo (May 25, 1861 Teatro Apollo, Rome)
- Belfagor (December 1, 1861 Teatro alla Pergola, Florence) [probably composed 1851]
- Carmelita (1863, not performed)
- Don Diego di Mendoza (January 12, 1867 Teatro La Fenice, Venice)
- Berta di Varnol (April 6, 1867 Teatro San Carlo, Naples) [partly composed 1859]
Doubtful
- La chiarina (Carnival (1815–1816 San Moisè, Venice) [probable confusion with work by Giuseppe Farinelli
- I virtuosi di teatro (1817 private performance, Venice) [possibly by Johann Simon Mayr
- La bottega di caffè (1817 private performance, Venice) [possibly by Francesco Gardi]
References
- Capra, Marco (2003). Intorno a Giovanni Pacini. Pisa: Edizioni ETS.
- Kaufman, Tom (Summer 2000). "Giovanni Pacini--A Composer for the Millennium". Opera Quarterly 16 (3).
- Pacini, Giovanni (1978). Le mie memorie artistiche. Sala Bolognese: Arnaldo Forni.
- Sadie, Stanley (Ed.) (1992; 1994 ed. with corrections). The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, Vol. 3, Lon-Rod. London: The MacMillan Press Limited.
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