Giuseppe Zamponi also Gioseffo Zamponi (or Zamboni, Samponi, c.1615 – February 1662) was an Italian composer best remembered for his opera ''Ulisse all'isola di Circe'' performed in Brussels in 1650, which was the first opera performed in the

low countries The term Low Countries, also known as the Low Lands ( nl, de Lage Landen, french: les Pays-Bas, lb, déi Niddereg Lännereien) and historically called the Netherlands ( nl, de Nederlanden), Flanders, or Belgica, is a coastal lowland region in N ...

, at the time part of the Spanish ruled Southern Netherlands.Histoire du spectacle en Europe (1580-1750): Pierre Béhar, Helen Watanabe-O'Kelly - 1999 "Southern Netherlands: the Habsburg provinces The first opera produced in the Netherlands was Ulisse all' isola di Circe by the Italian composer Giuseppe Zamponi, staged at the Brussels court of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm, governor of the ..." Zamponi was born in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, and was the organist at

Nostra Signora del Sacro Cuore Nostra Signora del Sacro Cuore ("Our Lady of the Sacred Heart", also known as San Giacomo degli Spagnoli and in Spanish, Santiago de los Españoles) is a Catholic church dedicated to the Virgin Mary located in Rome's Piazza Navona. History An ...

, then known as San Giacomo degli Spagnoli, in Rome's

Piazza Navona Piazza Navona () is a public open space in Rome, Italy. It is built on the site of the Stadium of Domitian, built in the 1st century AD, and follows the form of the open space of the stadium. The ancient Romans went there to watch the '' agones' ...

, from 1629 to 1638, substituting for Paolo Tarditi (c.1580-1661). From 1638 to 1647 he was in the service of cardinal

Pietro Maria Borghese Pietro Maria Borghese (1599 - 15 June 1642) was an Italian Catholic Cardinal. Early life Borghese was born in 1599 in Siena, the son of Marcantonio Borghese and Camilla Orsini. Despite the rampant nepotism that was to later define papal politics ...

(1599-1642). In 1648 he left Italy to join the court in Brussels of

Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria (5 January 1614 – 20 November 1662), younger brother of Emperor Ferdinand III, was an Austrian soldier, administrator and patron of the arts. He held a number of military commands, with limited success, and ...

, who was governor of the Southern Netherlands on behalf of the King of Spain. He was appointed

maestro di cappella (, also , ) from German ''Kapelle'' (chapel) and ''Meister'' (master)'','' literally "master of the chapel choir" designates the leader of an ensemble of musicians. Originally used to refer to somebody in charge of music in a chapel, the term ha ...

in 1648, and died in 1662

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

. ''Ulisse all'isola di Circe'' was performed on 24 February 1650 in celebration of the October 1649 wedding of

Philip IV of Spain Philip IV ( es, Felipe, pt, Filipe; 8 April 160517 September 1665), also called the Planet King (Spanish: ''Rey Planeta''), was King of Spain from 1621 to his death and (as Philip III) King of Portugal from 1621 to 1640. Philip is remembered f ...

and

Mariana of Austria Mariana of Austria ( es, Mariana de Austria) or Maria Anna (24 December 163416 May 1696) was List of Spanish royal consorts, Queen of Spain as the second wife of her uncle Philip IV of Spain from their marriage in 1649 until Philip died in 1665. ...

. It was staged again in 1655 at the occasion of the visit of Queen Christina from Sweden.

Works, editions and recordings

* Dies irae per 5 voci e 3 strumenti * Sonata per violino, viola da gamba e basso continuo * Sonata per violino, viola e basso continuo * Sonata per 2 violini e basso continuo * Capriccio * 2 arie * Opera ''Ulisse all'isola di Circe''. - Recording

Leonardo García Alarcón Leonardo García Alarcón (born 1976 in La Plata) is an Argentinian conductor specializing in baroque music. He studied harpsichord and organ and was assistant to Gabriel Garrido for several years, before founding the ensemble Cappella Mediterrane ...

2012

References

Italian male classical composers 1662 deaths 1610s births Italian opera composers Male opera composers Composers from Rome Italian organists Male organists 17th-century Italian composers 17th-century male musicians {{Italy-composer-stub