Donnino Emanuele Muzio (or ''Mussio'') (24 August 1821 in Zibello – 27 November 1890 in Paris) was an Italian

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

, conductor and vocal teacher. He was a lifelong friend and the only student of

Giuseppe Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the h ...

Biography

In April 1844, Verdi took on Muzio, eight years his junior, as a pupil and

amanuensis An amanuensis () is a person employed to write or type what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another, and also refers to a person who signs a document on behalf of another under the latter's authority. In one example Eric Fenby ...

. He had known him since about 1828 as a protégé of his own supporter, . Muzio, who in fact was Verdi's only pupil, became indispensable to the composer. He reported to Barezzi that Verdi "has a breadth of spirit, of generosity, a wisdom." The relationship was to grow stronger, and Muzio remained a lifelong friend. In November 1846, Muzio wrote of Verdi: "If you could see us, I seem more like a friend, rather than his pupil. We are always together at dinner, in the cafes, when we play cards...; all in all, he doesn't go anywhere without me at his side; in the house we have a big table and we both write there together, and so I always have his advice." Muzio was to remain associated with Verdi throughout his life, assisting in the preparation of scores and transcriptions, and later conducting the premieres of many of his works in their premiere performances in the USA and elsewhere. He was chosen by Verdi as one of the executors of his will, but predeceased the composer in 1890. Muzio was conductor of the Italian Opera in Brussels in 1852 as well as conducting in London and at the Academy of Music in New York City. In 1875, he settled in Paris as a vocal teacher. His students include

Carlotta Patti Carlotta Patti (c. 1840 – 27 June 1889) was a nineteenth-century Italian operatic soprano and older sister to famed soprano Adelina Patti. Various sources list her birth year as 1835, 1840, and 1842. Born Florence, Italy into a musical family, ...

and

Clara Louise Kellogg Clara Louise Kellogg (July 9, 1842 – May 13, 1916) was an American operatic soprano. Biography Clara Louise Kellogg was born in Sumterville, South Carolina, the daughter of Jane Elizabeth (Crosby) and George Kellogg. She received her music ...

Selected works

Emanuele Muzio-Verdi's pupil & assistant

Operas * '' Giovanna la pazza'', opera in 3 acts (1851); libretto by Luigi Silva; premiere at Teatro Italiano in Brussels * '' Claudia'', lyric melodrama in 3 acts (1853); libretto by Giulio Carcano; premiere at Teatro Re in Milan * '' Le due regine'', tragic melodrama in 3 acts (1856); libretto by Giovanni Peruzzini; premiere at Teatro della Cannobiana in Milan * '' La sorrentina'', lyric drama in 4 acts (1857); premiere at Teatro Comunale in Bologna Chamber music * ''Mazurka di concerto'' for horn and piano (1849) * ''Andante e Rondoletto'' for viola and piano (1858) Piano * ''3 Studi sopra una cavatina dell'opera "

La battaglia di Legnano ''La battaglia di Legnano'' (''The Battle of Legnano'') is an opera in four acts, with music by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian-language libretto by Salvadore Cammarano. It was based on the play ''La Bataille de Toulouse'' by Joseph Méry, later the c ...

" di Verdi'' (1849) * ''Piccolomini Waltz'' (1858) * ''Rebecca Waltzes'' (1860) * ''The Great Uprising-Galop'' for piano 4-hands (1862) * ''Emma Polka'' (1864) * ''Grand March and Soldiers' Chorus'', transcription from

Charles Gounod Charles-François Gounod (; ; 17 June 181818 October 1893), usually known as Charles Gounod, was a French composer. He wrote twelve operas, of which the most popular has always been ''Faust (opera), Faust'' (1859); his ''Roméo et Juliette'' (18 ...

's ''

Faust Faust is the protagonist of a classic German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust ( 1480–1540). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a pact with the Devil at a crossroads ...

'' (1864) Vocal * ''Sempre più t'amo'' for voice and piano (1863); words by A. Bertola * ''La nanna'', cradle song for voice and piano (1864) * ''La vedova'' for voice and piano (1864); words by

Felice Romani Giuseppe Felice Romani (31 January 178828 January 1865) was an Italian poet and scholar of literature and mythology who wrote many librettos for the opera composers Donizetti and Bellini. Romani was considered the finest Italian librettist betw ...

* ''Le sorelle'', valse brillante for voice and piano (1864) * ''L'usignuolo'' (The Nightingale) for voice and piano (1864) * ''Sospiro'' (The Sigh) for voice and piano (1864); words by

Silvio Pellico Silvio Pellico (; 24 June 1789 – 31 January 1854) was an Italian writer, poet, dramatist and patriot active in the Italian unification. Biography Silvio Pellico was born in Saluzzo (Piedmont). He spent the earlier portion of his life at Pin ...

* ''La Madonna del pescatore'', canzone napolitana for voice and piano (1866?) * ''All'aura'' for voice and piano (1869) * ''Barcarola veneziana'' for 2 voices and piano (1869) * ''Brindisi'' for 2 voices and piano (1869) * ''Duettino'' for 2 voices and piano (1869) * ''L'invito alla danza'', tarantella for voice and piano (1869) * ''L'amore'', La Polka for voice and piano (1869) * ''Stornello toscano'' for voice and piano (1869)

References

Notes Sources * *

Bibliography

* ''L'allievo di Verdi: Emanuele Muzio'' by Gaspare Nello Vetro (Parma: Zara, 1993)

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Muzio, Emanuele 1821 births 1890 deaths 19th-century classical composers Italian classical composers Italian male classical composers Italian conductors (music) Italian male conductors (music) Giuseppe Verdi Italian opera composers Male opera composers Musicians from the Province of Parma 19th-century conductors (music) 19th-century Italian composers