Fabio Campana (14 January 1819 – 2 February 1882) 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 ...

, opera director, conductor, and singing teacher who composed eight

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

s which premiered between 1838 and 1869.Ambìveri (1998) p. 32 He was born in

Livorno Livorno () is a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of 158,493 residents in December 2017. It is traditionally known in English as Leghorn (pronou ...

, the city where his first two operas premiered, but in the early 1850s he settled in London. There he opened a famous singing school, conducted concerts, and continued his reputation as a prolific and popular composer of

art song An art song is a Western vocal music composition, usually written for one voice with piano accompaniment, and usually in the classical art music tradition. By extension, the term "art song" is used to refer to the collective genre of such songs ...

s and concert

aria In music, an aria (Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompanime ...

s. His last opera, ''Esmeralda'', premiered in

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

in 1869, followed by London performances in 1870 with

Adelina Patti Adelina Patti (19 February 184327 September 1919) was an Italian 19th-century opera singer, earning huge fees at the height of her career in the music capitals of Europe and America. She first sang in public as a child in 1851, and gave her la ...

in the title role. Campana died in London at the age of 63. Although his operas are no longer performed, his art songs can be heard on several modern recordings.

Life and career

Campana was born in

and initially studied music there with Bernardo Nucci before going on to further studies at the Naples Conservatory and finally at the

Accademia Filarmonica di Bologna The Accademia Filarmonica di Bologna ("philharmonic academy of Bologna"; sometimes known in English as the Bologna Academy of Music) is a music education institution in Bologna, Italy. The Accademia de' Filarmonici was founded as an associ ...

. His first opera ''Caterina di Guisa'', set to a libretto 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 ...

, premiered while he was still a student.Forbes It was first performed on 14 August 1838 at the Teatro degli Avvalorati in Livorno, with

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 ...

's future wife

Giuseppina Strepponi Clelia Maria Josepha (Giuseppina) Strepponi ( Lodi, 8 September 1815 – Villanova sull'Arda, 14 November 1897) was a nineteenth-century Italian operatic soprano of great renown and the second wife of composer Giuseppe Verdi. She is ofte ...

in the title role.Casaglia The opera was warmly received as was his next opera ''Giulio d'Este'' which premiered at the same theatre in 1841. Campana also directed several operas at the theatre, including Mercadante's '' Il giuramento'' (1839), Donizetti's ''

Lucia di Lammermoor ''Lucia di Lammermoor'' () is a (tragic opera) in three acts by Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. Salvadore Cammarano wrote the Italian-language libretto loosely based upon Sir Walter Scott's 1819 historical novel ''The Bride of Lammermoor''. ...

'' (1840), Meyerbeer's '' Il crociato in Egitto'' (1840), and Bellini's ''

Il pirata ''Il pirata'' (''The Pirate'') is an opera in two acts by Vincenzo Bellini with an Italian libretto by Felice Romani which was based on a three-act ''mélodrame ''from 1826: ''Bertram, ou le Pirate'' (''Bertram, or The Pirate'') by Charles Nodie ...

'' (1840). In addition to conducting the premiere of his own opera, ''Vannina d'Ornano'' at the

Teatro della Pergola The Teatro della Pergola is an historic opera house in Florence, Italy. It is located in the centre of the city on the Via della Pergola, from which the theatre takes its name. It was built in 1656 under the patronage of Cardinal Gian Carlo de' Med ...

in Florence (1842), he conducted a series of concerts in Rome, including a performance of Rossini's '' Stabat Mater''. His last opera to be premiered in Italy was ''Mazeppa'', with a libretto based on

Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and Peerage of the United Kingdom, peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and h ...

's narrative poem, '' Mazeppa''. It was first performed at the

Teatro Comunale di Bologna The Teatro Comunale di Bologna is an opera house in Bologna, Italy. Typically, it presents eight operas with six performances during its November to April season. While there had been various theatres presenting opera in Bologna since the early 1 ...

on 6 November 1850 with the tenor Settimio Malvezzi in the title role. Adelina Patti as Esmeralda ca 1870

In 1850 Campana had gone to Paris, armed with a letter of recommendation from

Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer who gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote many songs, some chamber music and piano pieces, and some sacred music. He set new standards f ...

to seek a position at the Théâtre des Italiens which at that time was run by Benjamin Lumley. He was unsuccessful, however, and returned to Italy. Then on the suggestion of

Lord Ward Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or a ...

, a principal benefactor of

Her Majesty's Theatre Her Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Haymarket, London, Haymarket in the City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, ...

, he went to London where he was to live for the rest of his life. There he opened a famous singing school, conducted concerts, and continued his reputation as a prolific and popular composer of

s.Sanvitale (2002) p. 153 The first of his "Grand Matinee Musicale" concerts took place in 1854 under the patronage of Lord Ward, and featured his latest compositions. The 1860s saw the premieres of his last two operas. ''Almina'' premiered in London at Her Majesty's Theatre on 26 April 1860 conducted by

Luigi Arditi Luigi Arditi (16 July 1822 – 1 May 1903) was an Italian violinist, composer and conductor. Life Arditi was born in Crescentino, Piemonte (Italy). He began his musical career as a violinist, and studied music at the Milan Conservatory under ...

with

Marietta Piccolomini Marietta Piccolomini (; 5 March 1834 – 11 December 1899)The birthdate given in this article is stated by the Register of baptisms — year 1834 — number 215 — of the former Parish of Saints Quiricus and Julitta in Sienna, while the death dat ...

in the title role. The critical reaction was tepid. ''The Musical World'' criticised its lack of "dramatic fire", but also went on to note that the audience did not appear to share that view:

Taking applause as a criterion, the success of ''Almina'' was triumphant. After the first act, the principal singers were recalled, and then Signor Campana was compelled to appear, when he was not merely received with tumultuous acclamations, but fêted with bouquets and laurel-wreaths. At the fall of the curtain, too, he was summoned to the foot-lights twice, when the demonstrations were renewed, and no doubt the composer left the theatre perfectly satisfied that his opera had achieved a great and legitimate triumph. First nights, however, are not always precedents—the Barbiere of Rossini to witness.

Campana's final opera ''Esmeralda'', based on

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...

's ''

The Hunchback of Notre-Dame ''The Hunchback of Notre-Dame'' (french: Notre-Dame de Paris, translation=''Our Lady of Paris'', originally titled ''Notre-Dame de Paris. 1482'') is a French Gothic novel by Victor Hugo, published in 1831. It focuses on the unfortunate story o ...

'', premiered in Russia at the

Imperial Italian Opera on 20 December 1869. The title role had been written expressly for

, but she could not make the Saint Petersburg premiere and the role was sung by Carolina Volpi instead. In June of the following year, it was mounted in London at the

Theatre Royal, Covent Garden The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal Ope ...

this time with Adelina Patti as Esmeralda. The French journal ''

Le Ménestrel ''Le Ménestrel'' (The Minstrel) was an influential French music journal published weekly from 1833 until 1940. It was founded by Joseph-Hippolyte l'Henry and originally printed by Poussièlgue. In 1840 it was acquired by the music publishers Heu ...

'' reporting on the Saint Petersburg premiere praised the opera for its beautiful melodies and orchestration. The English critics' reaction to the London premiere was scathing. Henry Lunn, writing in ''

The Musical Times ''The Musical Times'' is an academic journal of classical music edited and produced in the United Kingdom and currently the oldest such journal still being published in the country. It was originally created by Joseph Mainzer in 1842 as ''Mainze ...

'', called it "a feeble work" with "commonplace" music, rescued only by the singing of Patti. The critic for '' The Saturday Review'' pronounced it "irredeemably bad". However, in his review of the London performance for ''Le Ménestrel'', Joseph Tagliafico (writing under his pseudonym "De Retz") took exception to the vehemence of the English critics' reaction finding it inexplicable. He concluded his review:

They say of Campana's opera that it is
imply Implication may refer to: Logic * Logical consequence (also entailment or logical implication), the relationship between statements that holds true when one logically "follows from" one or more others * Material conditional (also material conse ...
a new ''Album of Songs'' by the composer. Bah! Could not one also say that Donizetti's ''
La favorite ''La favorite'' (''The Favourite'', sometimes referred to by its Italian title: ''La favorita'') is a grand opera in four acts by Gaetano Donizetti to a French-language libretto by Alphonse Royer and Gustave Vaëz, based on the play ''Le comt ...
'' is a
romanza ''Romanza'' is the first compilation album by Italian singer Andrea Bocelli, released internationally in 1997. Although a compilation, ''Romanza'' is considered Bocelli's breakthrough album and remains his most commercially successful to date, ...
in five acts? The future will decide who was right and who was wrong.

''Esmeralda'' ran for a couple of seasons in London and was also performed in

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

(again with Patti in the title role) and in

Trieste Trieste ( , ; sl, Trst ; german: Triest ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital city, and largest city, of the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of two autonomous regions which are not subdivided into provi ...

but then dropped from the repertoire. Fabio Campana died in London on 2 February 1882 at the age of 63. His operas are no longer performed, but his art songs can be heard on several modern recordings, including

Opera Rara Opera Rara is a London-based opera company and recording label which specialises in recording and performing forgotten operatic repertoire from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Founded in 1970 by bel canto enthusiasts Patric Schmid and Don Whi ...

's ''Il Salotto'' series, and

Joan Sutherland Dame Joan Alston Sutherland, (7 November 1926 – 10 October 2010) was an Australian dramatic coloratura soprano known for her contribution to the renaissance of the bel canto repertoire from the late 1950s through to the 1980s. She possessed ...

's 1978 LP set ''Serate Musicali'' (re-released on CD by

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label * Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label * Decca Studios, a recording facility in W ...

in 2006). A portrait of Campana by

Giovanni Fattori Giovanni Fattori (September 6, 1825August 30, 1908) was an Italian artist, one of the leaders of the group known as the Macchiaioli. He was initially a painter of historical themes and military subjects. In his middle years, inspired by the Barbi ...

hangs in the Museo Civico Giovanni Fattori in Livorno.

Operas

*''Caterina di Guisa'' (tragedy in 3 acts, libretto by Felice Romani; premiered Livorno, Teatro degli Avvalorati, 14 August 1838) *''Giulio d'Este'' (tragedy in 3 acts, libretto by Carlo Alberto Monteverde; premiered Livorno, Teatro degli Avvalorati, 28 August 1841) *''Vannina d'Ornano'' (tragedy in 3 acts, libretto by Francesco Guidi; premiered Florence,

, 1 June 1842) *''Luisa di Francia'' (melodrama in 4 parts, libretto by Francesco Guidi; premiered Rome,

Teatro Argentina The Teatro Argentina (directly translating to "Theatre Argentina") is an opera house and Theater (structure), theatre located in Largo di Torre Argentina, a square in Rome, Italy. One of the oldest theatres in Rome, it was constructed in 1731 an ...

, 29 April 1844) *''La Duchessa de La Vallière'' (melodrama in 4 parts, libretto by Francesco Guidi; Livorno, Teatro Rossini, summer 1849) *''Mazeppa'' (lyric drama in 4 parts, libretto by Achille de Lauzières-Thémines; premiered Bologna, Teatro Comunale, 6 November 1850) *''Almina'' (lyric drama in 3 acts, libretto by Achille de Lauzières-Thémines, premiered London,

, 26 April 1860) *''Esmeralda'' (lyric drama in 4 acts, libretto by Giorgio Tommaso Cimino; premiered

, Imperial Italian Opera, 20 December 1869)

Songs

Campana composed at least two patriotic songs during the 1848–1849 Italian revolutions. One was set to Arcangelo Berettoni's poem "La costituente italiana" (The Italian Constituent). The other, "Inno nazionale" (National Hymn) set to a text by Franco Carrai, became the most frequently sung song in Livorno at the time. He also composed a chorus to accompany a dramatic allegory performed at the Teatro degli Avvalorati in 1847 to celebrate

Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany Leopold II( it, Leopoldo Giovanni Giuseppe Francesco Ferdinando Carlo, german: Leopold Johann Joseph Franz Ferdinand Karl, English: ''Leopold John Joseph Francis Ferdinand Charles''. (3 October 1797 – 29 January 1870) was Grand Duke of Tusc ...

granting Livorno its own Civil Guard. Between 1846 and 1854, Francesco Lucca, the firm which had commissioned Verdi's early opera ''

Il corsaro ''Il corsaro'' (''The Corsair'') is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi, from a libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, based on Lord Byron's 1814 poem '' The Corsair''. The first performance was given at the Teatro Grande in Trieste on 25 Octob ...

'', published seven collections of Campana's songs.

Ricordi Ricordi may refer to: People *Giovanni Ricordi (1785–1853), Italian violinist and publishing company founder *Giulio Ricordi (1840–1912), Italian publisher and musician Music *Casa Ricordi, an Italian music publishing company established in ...

was to publish another nineteen between 1851 and 1873. The Ricordi collections were variously entitled ''Souvenirs'', ''Pensieri'', ''Echi'', ''Sospiri'', or ''Ricordi'' (Souvenirs, Thoughts, Echoes, Sighs, Memories), with each one devoted to a different place which had a personal significance in Campana's life, including Naples, Venice, Rome, Paris,

Bagni di Lucca Bagni di Lucca (formerly Bagno a Corsena) is a comune of Tuscany, Italy, in the Province of Lucca with a population of about 6,100. The comune has 27 named frazioni (wards). History Bagni di Lucca has been known for its thermal springs since th ...

, and

Lake Como Lake Como ( it, Lago di Como , ; lmo, label=Western Lombard, Lagh de Còmm , ''Cómm'' or ''Cùmm'' ), also known as Lario (; after the la, Larius Lacus), is a lake of glacial origin in Lombardy, Italy. It has an area of , making it the thir ...

. The majority of Campana's songs were set to Italian texts, some written by the composer himself such as "Quando da te lontano!" (When I Am Far From You!). However, he also set texts by English writers which became popular both as concert pieces and as

parlor song Parlour music is a type of popular music which, as the name suggests, is intended to be performed in the parlours of houses, usually by amateur singers and pianists. Disseminated as sheet music, its heyday came in the 19th century, as a result of ...

s. His most well-known collaborators in this genre were

Henry Brougham Farnie Henry Brougham Farnie (8 April 1836 – 21 September 1889), often called H. B. Farnie, was a British librettist and adapter of French operettas and an author. Some of his English-language versions of operettas became record-setting hits on the ...

(e.g. "Speak to Me" and "The Scout: A Trooper's Ditty") and

Henry Hersee Henry may refer to: People * Henry (given name) *Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal ...

(e.g. "A Free Lance Am I: Or the Soldier of Fortune" and "The Little Gipsy"). Another popular concert piece in England was Campana's "Voga, voga, O marinaro" (Row, Row, O Sailor), a

barcarole A barcarolle (; from French, also barcarole; originally, Italian barcarola or barcaruola, from ''barca'' 'boat') is a traditional folk song sung by Venetian gondoliers, or a piece of music composed in that style. In classical music, two of the ...

for three female voices. It was later mentioned in

Eleanor Farjeon Eleanor Farjeon (13 February 1881 – 5 June 1965) was an English author of children's stories and plays, poetry, biography, history and satire. Several of her works had illustrations by Edward Ardizzone. Some of her correspondence has also be ...

's 1941 novel, ''Miss Gransby's Secret'', a satire on the sensibilities of the

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...

.Farjeon (1941) pp. 61 and 154. For a review of the novel, se
"Victorian Satire"
'' The Argus'', 1 March 1941, p. 6. ;Recorded songs *"L'ultima speme" (The Last Hope) –

(soprano),

Richard Bonynge Richard Alan Bonynge ( ) (born 29 September 1930) is an Australian conductor and pianist. He is the widower of Australian dramatic coloratura soprano Dame Joan Sutherland. Bonynge conducted virtually all of Sutherland's operatic performances ...

(piano) on ''Serate Musicali'' (

) *"Una sera d'amore" (An Evening of Love) –

Jennifer Larmore Jennifer Larmore (born June 21, 1958) is an American mezzo-soprano opera singer, particularly noted for her performances in coloratura and bel canto roles which she has performed in the world's major opera houses.Slonimsky, Nicolas and Kuhn, ...

(mezzo-soprano), Patrizia Biccire (soprano), Antoine Palloc (piano), on ''Il Salotto'' Vol 8: ''Notturno'' (

) *"Ora divina" (Divine Hour) –

Paul Austin Kelly Paul Austin Kelly (born 1960) is an American singer. A former rock musician who has sung opera, the tenor also writes, records and performs music for children. Musical beginnings Kelly attended Rondout Valley High School in Accord, New York and ...

(tenor),

Diana Montague Diana Montague (born 8 April 1953) is an English mezzo-soprano, known for her performances in opera and as a concert singer.Sleeman, Elizabeth (ed.)"Montague, Diana" ''The International Who's Who 2004'', Routledge, 2003, p. 1161. Biography En ...

(mezzo-soprano), David Harper (piano) on ''Il Salotto'' Vol 9: ''Ora Divina'' (Opera Rara) *"Près de la mer" (By the Sea) – Diana Montague (mezzo-soprano), David Harper (piano) on ''Il Salotto'' Vol 11: ''Serenata'' (Opera Rara)

Notes and references

Sources

*Ambìveri, Corrado
"Fabio Campana"
''Operisti minori dell'800 italiano'', Gremese Editore, 1998, pp. 32–33. (in Italian) *Bianconi, Lorenzo and Pestelli, Giorgio
''Opera Production and its Resources''
(translated by Lydia G. Cochrane), University of Chicago Press, 1998. * *De Retz
"Saison de Londres"
''Le Ménestrel'', 26 June 1870 pp. 236–237 (in French) *Durbè, Vera (ed.)
''La Giovinezza di Fattori'': Catalogo della mostra al Cisternino del Poccianti: Livorno, ottobre–dicembre 1980''
De Luca, 1980 (in Italian) *''

Dwight's Journal of Music ''Dwight's Journal of Music'' (1852–1881, ''DJM'') was an American music journal, one of the most respected and influential such periodicals in the country in the mid-19th century. John Sullivan Dwight created the Journal, and published it in B ...

''
"The Italian Operas in London—Covent Garden"
Vol 30, No. 10, 30 July 1870, pp. 282–283 * Farjeon, Eleanor
''Miss Gransby's Secret''
Simon and Schuster, 1941 * Forbes, Elizabeth, "Campana, Fabio",

Grove Music Online ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' is an encyclopedic dictionary of music and musicians. Along with the German-language ''Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart'', it is one of the largest reference works on the history and theo ...

, Accessed vi
subscription
25 September 2010 *Lunn, Henry C
"The London Musical Season"
''The Musical Times'', Vol. 15, No. 343, 1 September 1871, pp. 199–202 . *Sanvitale, Francesco
''La romanza italiana da salotto''
EDT srl, 2002. (in Italian) *''The Musical World''
"Her Majesty's Theatre"
28 April 1860, p. 273

External links

*, songs "La Malinconia" and "Amo"

at the Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek
Catalogue of Fabio Campana's scores
held in the libraries of

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze''). Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...

(in Italian) {{DEFAULTSORT:Campana, Fabio 1819 births 1882 deaths Italian classical composers Italian male classical composers Italian conductors (music) Italian male conductors (music) Italian opera composers Male opera composers 19th-century classical composers 19th-century conductors (music) 19th-century Italian composers