Ferdinando Orlandi (7 October 1774 – 5 January 1848), also referred to as Orland and Orlando. Little is known of his early life and his year of birth is also cited as 1777. He was an Italian musician and teacher of singing who composed cantatas and sacred music (including four masses), but was particularly known for his operas, not all of which have survived. He was born and died in

Parma Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, music, art, prosciutto (ham), cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 inhabitants, Parma is the second mos ...

Life

Orlandi studied music with Gaspare Rugarli, organist at the ducal chapel of Colorno, then in

with Gaspare Ghiretti and probably with

Ferdinando Paer Ferdinando Paer (1 July 1771 – 3 May 1839) was an Italian composer known for his operas. He was of Austrian descent and used the German spelling Pär in application for printing in Venice, and later in France the spelling Paër. Life and career ...

. In 1793 he entered the Conservatorio della Pietà della Turchini in Naples, where he studied counterpoint with Nichola Sala and

Giacomo Tritto Giacomo Domenico Mario Antonio Pasquale Giuseppe Tritto (2 April 1733 – 16 September 1824) was an Italian composer, known primarily for his fifty-four operas. He was born in Altamura, and studied in Naples; among his teachers were Nicola F ...

. In 1799 he returned to Parma, where he was appointed choirmaster. In 1801, his theatrical career began with the comic opera ''The Scottish Pupil'' (''La pupilla scozzese'') based on a libretto by

Lorenzo Da Ponte Lorenzo Da Ponte (; 10 March 174917 August 1838) was an Italian, later American, opera librettist, poet and Roman Catholic priest. He wrote the libretti for 28 operas by 11 composers, including three of Mozart's most celebrated operas: ''The Marr ...

that had earlier been set by

Antonio Salieri Antonio Salieri (18 August 17507 May 1825) was an Italian classical composer, conductor, and teacher. He was born in Legnago, south of Verona, in the Republic of Venice, and spent his adult life and career as a subject of the Habsburg monarchy ...

in Vienna in 1789. When the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza was annexed to the French Republic in 1801, Orlandi moved to

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

, where his very successful comic opera ''The Mayor of Chioggia'' (''Il podestà di Chioggia'') was performed. Contemporary publicity noted that it was a satire on a Venetian magistrate during the turmoil of the

Cisalpine Republic The Cisalpine Republic ( it, Repubblica Cisalpina) was a sister republic of France in Northern Italy that existed from 1797 to 1799, with a second version until 1802. Creation After the Battle of Lodi in May 1796, Napoleon Bonaparte organiz ...

. Thereafter Orlandi pursued his career in Milan, where he had become professor at the Conservatory of Music, even after the duchy was restored to Austrian control in 1814. In 1822 he moved to

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...

, the Bavarian capital, and the following year to the court of Württemberg in Stuttgart, where he remained as Kapellmeister until 1828. At that period a cantata dedicated to Queen

Pauline Therese of Württemberg Pauline of Württemberg (4 September 1800 – 10 March 1873) was a Queen consort of Württemberg by marriage to her first cousin King William I of Württemberg. Early life Pauline Therese was born in Riga, one of the five children of Duke ...

was published. On his return to Parma, Orlandi applied unsuccessfully for the post of professor of singing at the Ospizio delle Arti. In November 1835 he was given the honorary appointment of choirmaster by the Duchess Maria Luigia and later teacher of choral music. In 1837 he was appointed to the

Order of the Golden Spur The Order of the Golden Spur ( it, Ordine dello Speron d'Oro, french: Ordre de l'Éperon d'or), officially known also as the Order of the Golden Militia ( la, Ordo Militia Aurata, it, Milizia Aurata), is a papal order of knighthood conferre ...

Pope Gregory XVI Pope Gregory XVI ( la, Gregorius XVI; it, Gregorio XVI; born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari; 18 September 1765 – 1 June 1846) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 February 1831 to his death in 1 June 1846. He ...

Work

Orlandi came to prominence in the first decade of the 19th century, between the death of

Domenico Cimarosa Domenico Cimarosa (; 17 December 1749 – 11 January 1801) was an Italian composer of the Neapolitan school and of the Classical period. He wrote more than eighty operas, the best known of which is '' Il matrimonio segreto'' (1792); most of h ...

and the advent of

Gioachino 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 ...

. By 1813 his operatic career had all but come to an end but saw a last flowering in 1820. Both the texts he set then were based on foreign themes. The libretto of ''Rodrigo di Valenza'' 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 ...

had already been set by

Pietro Generali Pietro Generali (born Mercandetti Generali; 23 October 1773 – 3 November 1832) was an Italian composer primarily of operas and vocal music. Generali was born in Masserano. He studied counterpoint with Giovanni Masi in Rome and spent a few ...

in 1817 and performed in Milan. Loosely based on

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

’s ''

King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane ...

'', the scene was transposed to Spain. ''Fedra'', Orlandi’s final opera, was based on the Classical story of

Phaedra Phaedra may refer to: Mythology * Phaedra (mythology), Cretan princess, daughter of Minos and Pasiphaë, wife of Theseus Arts and entertainment * ''Phaedra'' (Alexandre Cabanel), an 1880 painting Film * ''Phaedra'' (film), a 1962 film by ...

but completely failed. It should be noted too that

Giovanni Bertati Giovanni Bertati (10 July 1735 – 1 March 1815) was an Italian Libretto, librettist. Bertati was born in Martellago, Italy. In 1763, he wrote his first libretto, ''La morte di Dimone'' ("The Death of Dimone"), set to music by Antonio Tozzi. Two ye ...

's libretto for ''L'Avaro'' was based on

Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (, ; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, , ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and worl ...

's ''L'Avare''. It had already been set by

Pasquale Anfossi Pasquale Anfossi (5 April 1727 – February 1797) was an Italian opera composer. Born in Taggia, Liguria, he studied with Niccolò Piccinni and Antonio Sacchini, and worked mainly in London, Venice and Rome. He wrote more than 80 operas, both ...

in 1775 and in 1776 by

Gennaro Astarita Gennaro Astarita (also spelled Astaritta) (c.1745–49 – 18 December 1805) was an Italian composer, mainly of operas. The place of his birth is unknown, although he was active in Naples for many years. He began his operatic career in 1765, coll ...

. The following are the operas whose titles are recorded: * ''La pupilla scozzese'' (libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, Parma, Teatro Ducale, 1801) * ''Il podestà di Chioggia'' (comic opera, libretto by Angelo Anelli, Milan, Teatro alla Scala, 1801) * ''Azemira e Cimene'' (libretto by Gaetano Rossi, Florence, Teatro alla Pergola, 1801) * ''Il deputato di Rocca'' (Teatro San Luca, Venice, 1801) * ''L'amore deluso'' (Florence, Teatro alla Pergola, 1802) * ''L'amor stravagante'' (libretto by Florimondo Ermioneo, Milan, Teatro alla Scala, 1802) * ''I furbi alle nozze'' (comic opera, Florence, Teatro del Cocomero, 1803) * ''L'avaro'' (comic opera, libretto di Giovanni Bertati, Florence Teatro del Cocomero, 1803) * ''Il fiore'' or ''Il matrimonio per svenimento'' (opera buffa, libretto by Giuseppe Maria Foppa, Venice, Teatro San Benedetto, 1803) * ''I furbi alle nozze'' (Florence, Teatro del Cocomero, 1803) * ''Le nozze chimeriche'' (libretto by Adrante Locrense, Milan, Teatro Carcano, 1804) * ''Nino'' (libretto by Ippolito Zanelli, Brescia, Teatro Grande, 1804) * ''Le lettere'' or ''Il sarto declamatore'' (libretto by Angelo Anelli, Milan, Teatro Carcano, 1804) * ''La sposa contrastata'' (libretto by Francesco Saverio Zini, Rome, Teatro Valle, 1804) * ''La villanella fortunata'') libretto by Giovanni Bertati, Turin, 1805) * ''I raggiri amorosi'' (Milan, Teatro alla Scala, 30 maggio 1806) * ''Corrado'' (Turin, Teatro Regio, 1806) * ''Pandolfo e Baloardo'' (libretto by Giuseppe Maria Foppa, Venice, Teatro San Moisè, 1807) * ''L'amico dell'uomo'' (libretto by Giuseppe Maria Foppa, Novara, Teatro Nuovo, 1808) * ''La donna (dama) soldato'' (comic opera, libretto by Caterino Mazzolà, Milan, Teatro alla Scala, 1808) * ''L'uomo benefico'' (libretto by Giuseppe Maria Foppa, Turin, Teatro Regio, 1808) * ''Il cicisbeo burlato'' (comic opera, libretto by Angelo Anelli, Milan, Teatro alla Scala, 1812) * ''Il qui pro quo'' (opera buffa, libretto by Gaetano Rossi, Milan, Teatro di Santa Radegonda, 1812) * ''Amore intraprendente'' (libretto by Giuseppe Maria Foppa, 1812) * ''Zulema e Zelima'' (Venice, 1813) * ''Rodrigo di Valenza'' (libretto by Felice Romani, Turin, Teatro Regio, 1820) * ''Fedra'' (libretto by Luigi Romanelli, Padua, Teatro Nuovo, 1820)Google Books
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References

The bulk of the information here has been taken from Daniele Carnini's article in ''Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani'
Volume 79
(2013) {{DEFAULTSORT:Orlandi, Ferdinando 1774 births 1848 deaths Italian classical composers Italian male classical composers Italian opera composers Male opera composers 19th-century Italian musicians 19th-century Italian male musicians