Francesco Azopardi (or Azzopardi) (May 5, 1748 – February 1809) was a Maltese composer and music theorist.Spiridion Vincent Buhagiar, ''Francesco Azopardi (1748–1809): A Maltese Classical Composer, Theorist, and Teacher'', Mediterranean Institute,

University of Malta The University of Malta (, UM, formerly UOM) is a higher education institution in Malta. It offers undergraduate bachelor's degrees, postgraduate master's degrees and postgraduate doctorates. It is a member of the European University Association ...

, Msida, Malta, 1999, Dissertation

Life and career

Azopardi was born in Notabile. He received his musical training in Malta and during his stay from 1763 to 1774 in

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

at the Conservatory of San Onofrio under Carlo Cotumacci and Joseph Doll. He worked at

St. Paul's Cathedral, Mdina The Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Paul ( mt, Il-Katidral Metropolitan ta' San Pawl), commonly known as St Paul's Cathedral or the Mdina Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Mdina, Malta, dedicated to St. Paul the Apostle. The cathedral w ...

, and, from 1789 following the Napoleonic invasion and flight of the

Knights of St. John The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic military order. It was headq ...

, combined his responsibilities at Mdina with those at St. John's Co-Cathedral in

Valletta Valletta (, mt, il-Belt Valletta, ) is an Local councils of Malta, administrative unit and capital city, capital of Malta. Located on the Malta (island), main island, between Marsamxett Harbour to the west and the Grand Harbour to the east, i ...

. One of his successes was a setting of

Metastasio Pietro Antonio Domenico Trapassi (3 January 1698 – 12 April 1782), better known by his pseudonym of Pietro Metastasio (), was an Italian poet and librettist, considered the most important writer of ''opera seria'' libretti. Early life Me ...

's libretto ''

La Passione di Gesù Cristo LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figur ...

'' he conducted at the

Manoel Theatre ( Maltese for "Manoel Theatre"; it, Teatro Manoel) is a theatre and important performing arts venue in Malta. The theatre is often referred to as simply "The Manoel", and is named after Grand Master of the Order of the Knights Hospitaller, Fr ...

in Valletta in 1782. He died in

Rabat Rabat (, also , ; ar, الرِّبَاط, er-Ribât; ber, ⵕⵕⴱⴰⵟ, ṛṛbaṭ) is the capital city of Morocco and the country's seventh largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan populati ...

. He is known especially through his work ''Il Musico Prattico'', which appeared in French translation by Nicolas-Étienne Framery.

Works

Secular music

*''Malta felice'' (

cantata A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir. The meaning of ...

, 1775) *''La magica lanterna'' (

opera buffa ''Opera buffa'' (; "comic opera", plural: ''opere buffe'') is a genre of opera. It was first used as an informal description of Italian comic operas variously classified by their authors as ''commedia in musica'', ''commedia per musica'', ''dramm ...

, 1791)

Sacred vocal music

*''La passione di Cristo'' (

oratorio An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is mus ...

libretto A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the t ...

Pietro Metastasio Pietro Antonio Domenico Trapassi (3 January 1698 – 12 April 1782), better known by his pseudonym of Pietro Metastasio (), was an Italian poet and librettist, considered the most important writer of '' opera seria'' libretti. Early life Me ...

, 1782, 1802) *Various masses composed between 1768 and 1806 *Various sacred works composed between 1772 and 1796 *Songs, hymns and psalms composed between 1772 and 1807

Instrumental music

*Overture for 2 oboes, 2 violins, 2 horns, bass, and organ (1782) *Sinfonia for 2 oboes, 2 violins, 2 violas, horn and basso continuo (1797) *Sinfonia for oboe obbligato, oboe, 2 violins, 2 horns and basso continuo (1799)

Treatises

*''Il musico prattico'' *''Dissertazione sulla risoluzione della quinta falsa in 6/4 rivolto dell'armonia di 5/3'' *''Dissertazione sulla musica greca''

Selected recordings

* ''Les manuscrits de Malte 3 – Oeuvres de Francesco Azopardi'': Lauda Sion. Assumpta est. Beatus Vir. Confitebor. Dixit Dominus. Maîtrise des Bouches du Rhône, leader Jeannine Prosper, Jeune Ensemble Baroque de Provence, dir. Giuseppe Dellavalle. Studio SM, Paris. 1998.

References

External links

* 1748 births 1809 deaths Maltese classical composers Music theorists People from Mdina People from Rabat, Malta 18th-century Maltese people 18th-century classical composers 18th-century male musicians 18th-century musicians 19th-century Maltese people 19th-century classical composers Male classical composers 19th-century male musicians 19th-century musicians {{Malta-composer-stub