Luigi Cherubini ( ; ; 8 or 14 September
[Willis, in Sadie (Ed.), p. 833] 1760 – 15 March 1842) was an Italian
Classical and
Romantic composer. His most significant compositions are operas and sacred music.
Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...
regarded Cherubini as the greatest of his contemporaries. His operas were heavily praised and interpreted by
Rossini.
Early years
Cherubini was born Maria Luigi Carlo Zenobio Salvatore Cherubini in
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico ...
in 1760. There is uncertainty about his exact date of birth. Although 14 September is sometimes stated, evidence from baptismal records and Cherubini himself suggests the 8th is correct. Perhaps the strongest evidence is his first name, Maria, which is traditional for a child born on 8 September, the feast-day of the Nativity of the Virgin.
His instruction in music began at the age of six with his father, Bartolomeo, '' maestro al cembalo'' ("Master of the
harpsichord", in other words, ensemble leader from the
harpsichord). Considered a
child prodigy, Cherubini studied
counterpoint and dramatic style at an early age. By the time he was thirteen, he had composed several religious works.
Adulthood and first operas
In 1780, he was awarded a scholarship by the
Grand Duke of Tuscany to study music in
Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different na ...
and
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 ...
.
Cherubini's early ''
opere serie'' used libretti by
Apostolo Zeno
Apostolo Zeno (11 December 1668 in Venice – 11 November 1750 in Venice) was a Venetian poet, librettist, journalist, and man of letters.
Early life
Apostolo Zeno was born in Venice to a colonial branch of the Zeno family, an ancient Ven ...
,
Metastasio (Pietro Trapassi), and others that adhered closely to standard dramatic conventions. His music was strongly influenced by
Niccolò Jommelli,
Tommaso Traetta, and
Antonio Sacchini, who were the leading Italian composers of the day. The first of his two comic works, ''Lo sposo di tre e marito di nessuna,'' premiered at a
Venetian
Venetian often means from or related to:
* Venice, a city in Italy
* Veneto, a region of Italy
* Republic of Venice (697–1797), a historical nation in that area
Venetian and the like may also refer to:
* Venetian language, a Romance language s ...
theater in November 1783.
Feeling constrained by Italian traditions and eager to experiment, Cherubini traveled to London in 1785 where he produced two ''opere serie'' and an ''opera buffa'' for the
King's Theatre. In the same year, he made an excursion to Paris with his friend the violinist
Giovanni Battista Viotti
Giovanni Battista Viotti (12 May 1755 – 3 March 1824) was an Italian violinist whose virtuosity was famed and whose work as a composer featured a prominent violin and an appealing lyrical tunefulness. He was also a director of French and Italia ...
, who presented him to
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette Josèphe Jeanne (; ; née Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was the last queen of France before the French Revolution. She was born an archduchess of Austria, and was the penultimate child a ...
and Parisian society. Cherubini received an important commission to write ''
Démophoon
''Démophoon'' (sometimes spelt ''Démophon'') is an opera by the composer Luigi Cherubini, first performed at the Académie Royale de Musique (the Paris Opera) on 2 December 1788. It takes the form of a '' tragédie lyrique'' in three acts. The ...
'' to a French libretto by
Jean-François Marmontel that would be his first ''
tragédie en musique
Tragédie en musique (, ''musical tragedy''), also known as tragédie lyrique (, ''lyric tragedy''), is a genre of French opera introduced by Jean-Baptiste Lully and used by his followers until the second half of the eighteenth century. Operas in ...
.'' Except for a brief return trip to London and to
Turin
Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...
for an ''opera seria'' commissioned by King
Victor Amadeus III, Cherubini spent the rest of his life in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
where he was initiated into
Grand Orient de France "Saint-Jean de Palestine" Masonic Lodge in 1784.
French assimilation
Cherubini adopted the French version of his name, Marie-Louis-Charles-Zénobi-Salvador Cherubini; this appears in ''all'' extant documents that show his full name after 1790,
though his Italian name is favored nowadays. Performances of ''Démophoon'' were favorably received at the Académie Royale de Musique in 1788. With Viotti's help, the
Théâtre de Monsieur in the
Tuileries appointed Cherubini as its director in 1789. Three years later, after a move to the rue Feydeau and the fall of the monarchy, the company became known as the Théâtre Feydeau. This position gave Cherubini the opportunity to read countless libretti and choose one that best suited his temperament.
Cherubini's music began to show more originality and daring. His first major success was ''
Lodoïska'' (1791), which was admired for its realistic heroism. This was followed by ''
Elisa
The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (, ) is a commonly used analytical biochemistry assay, first described by Eva Engvall and Peter Perlmann in 1971. The assay uses a solid-phase type of enzyme immunoassay (EIA) to detect the presen ...
'' (1794), set in the
Swiss Alps
The Alpine region of Switzerland, conventionally referred to as the Swiss Alps (german: Schweizer Alpen, french: Alpes suisses, it, Alpi svizzere, rm, Alps svizras), represents a major natural feature of the country and is, along with the Swis ...
, and ''
Médée
''Médée'' is a dramatic tragedy in five acts written in alexandrine verse by Pierre Corneille in 1635.
Summary
The heroine of the play is the sorceress Médée. After Médée gives Jason twin boys, Jason leaves her for Creusa. Médée ex ...
'' (1797), Cherubini's best-known work. ''
Les deux journées
''Les deux journées, ou Le porteur d'eau'' (''The Two Days, or The Water Carrier'') is an opera in three acts by Luigi Cherubini with a libretto by Jean-Nicolas Bouilly. It takes the form of an opéra comique, meaning not that the subject matter ...
'' (1800), in which Cherubini simplified his style, was a popular success. These and other operas were premièred at the Théâtre Feydeau or the Opéra-Comique. Feeling financially secure, he married Anne Cécile Tourette in 1794 and began a family of three children.
The fallout from the
French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...
affected Cherubini until the end of his life. Politics forced him to hide his connections with the former aristocracy and seek governmental appointments. Although
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...
found him too complex, Cherubini wrote at least one patriotic work per year for more than a decade.
He was appointed Napoleon's director of music in
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
for part of 1805 and 1806, whereupon he conducted several of his works in that city.
In 1808 Cherubini was elected an associated member of the
Royal Institute of the Netherlands.
From opera to church music
After ''Les deux journées'', Parisian audiences began to favor younger composers such as
Boieldieu. Cherubini's opera-ballet ''
Anacréon'' was an outright failure and most stage works after it did not achieve success. ''
Faniska'', produced in 1806, was an exception, receiving an enthusiastic response, in particular by
Haydn and Beethoven. ''
Les Abencérages
(English: ''The Abencerrages, or The standard of Granada'') is an opera in three acts by Luigi Cherubini with a French libretto by Etienne de Jouy, based on the novel ''Gonzalve de Cordoue'' by Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian. It was first performe ...
'' (1813), an heroic drama set in Spain during the last days of the
Moorish kingdom of
Granada, was Cherubini's attempt to compete with
Spontini
Gaspare Luigi Pacifico Spontini (14 November 177424 January 1851) was an Italian opera composer and conductor from the classical era.
Biography
Born in Maiolati, Papal State (now Maiolati Spontini, Province of Ancona), he spent most of his ca ...
's ''
La vestale''; it received critical praise but few performances.
Disappointed with his lack of acclaim in the theater, Cherubini turned increasingly to church music, writing seven
masses, two
requiems, and many shorter pieces. During this period (under the
restored monarchy) he was appointed ''Surintendant de la Musique du Roi'', a position he would hold until the fall of
Charles X (1830). In 1815 London's
Royal Philharmonic Society commissioned him to write a symphony, an overture, and a composition for chorus and orchestra, the performances of which he went especially to London to conduct, increasing his fame.
Cherubini's
Requiem in C minor (1816), commemorating the anniversary of the execution of King
Louis XVI of France
Louis XVI (''Louis-Auguste''; ; 23 August 175421 January 1793) was the last King of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. He was referred to as ''Citizen Louis Capet'' during the four months just before he was ...
, was a huge success. The work was greatly admired by Beethoven,
Schumann and
Brahms. In 1836, Cherubini wrote a Requiem in D minor to be performed at his own funeral. It is for male choir only, as the religious authorities had criticised his use of female voices in the earlier work.
Old age and legacy
In 1822, Cherubini became director of the
Conservatoire and completed his textbook, ''Cours de contrepoint et de fugue,'' in 1835. His role at the Conservatoire brought him into conflict with the young
Hector Berlioz, who portrayed the old composer in his memoirs as a crotchety pedant. Some critics, such as Basil Deane, maintain that Berlioz's depiction has distorted Cherubini's image with posterity. There are many allusions to Cherubini's personal irritability among his contemporaries;
Adolphe Adam wrote, "some maintain his temper was very even, because he was always angry." Nevertheless, Cherubini had many friends, including
Szymanowska,
Rossini,
Chopin and, above all, the artist
Ingres. The two had mutual interests: Cherubini was a keen amateur painter and Ingres enjoyed practising the violin. In 1841, Ingres produced the most celebrated portrait of the old composer.
Although chamber music does not make up a large portion of his output, what he did write was important. Wilhelm Altmann, writing in his ''Handbuch für Streichquartettspieler'' (''Handbook for String Quartet Players'') about Cherubini's six string quartets, stated that they are first rate and regarded Nos. 1 and 3 as masterworks. His String Quintet for two violins, viola and two cellos is also considered a first-rate work.
During his lifetime, Cherubini received France's highest and most prestigious honors. These included the ''Chevalier de la
Légion d'honneur
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...
'' (1814) and ''Membre de l'Académie des Beaux-Arts'' (1815). In 1841, he was made ''Commandeur de la Légion d'honneur,'' the first musician to receive that title.
Cherubini died in Paris in 1842 at age 81 and is buried at
Père Lachaise Cemetery, just four metres from his friend Chopin. His tomb was designed by the architect
Achille Leclère and includes a figure by the sculptor
Augustin-Alexandre Dumont representing "Music" crowning a bust of the composer with a wreath.
Works
Orchestral music
*
Overture in G (1815)
*Symphony in D major (1815)
*Marche funèbre (1820)
Chamber music
*String Quartet No. 1 in E-flat (1814)
*String Quartet No. 2 in C (1829) - transcription of Symphony in D major with new second movement
*String Quartet No. 3 in D minor (1834)
*String Quartet No. 4 in E (1835)
*String Quartet No. 5 in F (1835)
*String Quartet No. 6 in A minor (1837)
*String Quintet (2 violins, viola, 2 cellos) in E minor (1837)
Masses and sections of the Mass
*Five masses (written 1773–1776, lost)
*''Messe solennelle brève'' in B-flat (1805, dubious)
*Credo ''a capella'' for eight voices and organ (1806)
*Mass in A for three voices (1809, dubious)
*''Messe de Chimay'' in F (1809)
*''Missa solemnis'' in D minor (1811) ''per il
Principe Esterházy''
*Mass (4th messe solennelle) in C (1816)
*Credo in D (1816)
*
Requiem in C minor for mixed chorus (1816) in memory of Louis XVI
*''Missa solemnis'' in E (1818)
*Mass in G (1819) for the Coronation of Louis XVIII
*Mass in B-flat (1821, dubious)
*''Messe solennelle'' in A for the Coronation of Charles X (1825)
*Requiem in D minor for male chorus (1836) written for his own funeral
Motets and other choral works
*Cantata ''Amphion'' (1786)
*Cantata ''Circé'' (premiered 1789)
*''Trois chœrs'': Incidental music for the play ''La Mort de Mirabeau'' by
Jean-Baptiste Pujoulx (1791)
*Cantata ''Clytemnestra'' (1794)
*Cantata ''Hymne au printemps'' ("Hymn to Spring") (1815)
*''Hymne du Panthéon'' (1794)
[''Hymne du Panthéon: Grand Chœur à la gloire des martyrs de la liberté et de ses défenseurs'', lyrics by ]Marie-Joseph Chénier
Marie-Joseph Blaise de Chénier (11 February 1764 – 10 January 1811) was a French poet, dramatist and politician of French and Greek origin.
Biography
The younger brother of André Chénier, Joseph Chénier was born at Constantinople, but ...
, composed in 1794 in to celebrate Marat's death (Cf. ''Cherubini'' in Dictionnaire de la musique, by Gérard Pernon, page 57).
*38 motets
Operas
*See
List of operas by Luigi Cherubini
Teaching manuals
* ''
A treatise on counterpoint and fugue'' (1841)
References
Citations
Sources
* Altmann, Wilhelm, ''Handbuch für Streichquartettspielers'', Amsterdam: Hinrichtshofen, 1972
* Cherubini, Luigi (with
Fromental Halévy, ''Cours de contrepoint et de fugue'', Paris: M. Schlesinger, 1835 OCLC 11909698
* Deane, Basil, ''Cherubini'' (Oxford Studies of Composers, 1965)
* Cobbett, W.W. (Ed.), ''Cobbett's Cyclopedic Survey of Chamber Music'', Oxford University Press, 1963.
*
Holden, Amanda (Ed.), ''The New Penguin Opera Guide'', New York: Penguin Putnam, 2001. .
*
Willis, Stephen C., "Cherubini, (Maria) Luigi (Carlo Zanobi Salvadore)" in Sadie, Stanley (Ed.), ''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera'', Vol. 1, A-D, New York: MacMillan, 1994. .
External links
Entry for Luigi Cherubini in ''The Catholic Encyclopedia''*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cherubini, Luigi
1760 births
1842 deaths
19th-century Italian male musicians
Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery
Catholic liturgical composers
Commandeurs of the Légion d'honneur
Conservatoire de Paris faculty
Directors of the Conservatoire de Paris
Italian Classical-period composers
Italian male classical composers
Italian music theorists
Italian opera composers
Male opera composers
String quartet composers
Members of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
Musicians from Florence