Nicola Antonio Zingarelli (1752 - 1837)

Nicola Antonio Zingarelli was born in Naples on April 4, 1752 by Riccardo and Teresa Ricci Toda Zingarelli. He had two brothers, also dedicated to music, and a sister. The christeninf of little Nicola was held in the church of S.Arcangelo all'Arena. He was admitted to the Conservatorio of Santa Maria di Loreto. 

He studied composition under the guidance of Padre Fenaroli and Alessandro Speranza, a pupil of Francesco Durante. His zeal in the study was that often, during the fall, he went on foot to the house of his teacher that wasn't near Neaples. Not only is devoted to musical studies, but he studied also humanea litterae. Later he leaving  in Torre Annunziata as a teacher of violin, an instrument that he never abandoned. He obtained the protection of the Duchess of Castelpagano, which is very committed to it to acquire fame. At 29 years old he composed the opera Montezuma, represented at the Teatro San Carlo of Naples in 1781. The work  was not very successful, but was very praised in Germany, receving the applause of Haydn. Following the fall of Montezuma, he could leave for Milan, where he began to compose works like Asinda at La Scala theatre in 1785, a work composed in seven days. Soon after wrote Romeo and Juliet, in just forty hours spread over ten days. In 1792 was maestro di cappella of the Cathedral of Milan.

In addition to this he began to give lessons in composition and had many students including Francesco Pollini, a talented piano virtuoso. From Milan came to the Holy House of Loreto in 1794. Here he remained for a decade writing sacred music, but he also continued to compose operas for various clients. For the Holy House of Loreto he wrote a monumental work: "L’annuale di Loreto" which is a collection of Masses for everyday. During Napoleon's campaign in Italy, Bonaparte went to Loreto in order to know Zingarelli personally. In 1804 was appointed maestro di cappella at St. Peter's, in Rome as the successor of Pietro Guglielmi. Occupied by the French, Zingarelli was required to perform the Ambrosian hymn to celebrate the birth of the son of Napoleon Bonaparte who had been given the title of King of Rome. Zingarelli said nothing in this order and that his silence was misinterpreted as consent to the order prescribed, prepared, then, all in St. Peter's, called, Zingarelli refused saying that he did not recognize another sovereign outside of Pope Pius VII from which he was hired as master of the papal chapel. He was then arrested and transported to Civitavecchia order of the chief of police of Rome, from there he was ordered to leave for Paris to be judged. Arriving in Paris, Napoleon's chaplain Cardinal Flesh, gave him four thousand francs for the trip. Once the court was not made any arrests, he was tried for the imperial orders violated, indeed, the emperor soon commissioned to Zingarelli write a mass for his Imperial Chapel, which does not exceed the duration of twenty minutes. In a short time the work was composed and so pleased to send to the emperor through his Grand Chamberlain a letter of thanks and a term of six thousand francs. 

Zingarelli was then in Paris for about a year, during which Napoleon made him a monthly award of two hundred francs. In 1812 he left France and in 1813 he was appointed as director of the S. Sebastiano Conservatory, then transferred to S. Pietro a Majella.  In 1835 he had an attack of dropsy. For this reason he went in Torre del Greco, near Neaples, a place famous for his good air. On May 5 he died. The body was transferred to Naples that same evening by Tito Angelini. The body was transported to the Conservatory where he held the funeral where he received the homage of the students moved and friends. The body was then buried in the church of San Domenico in Naples.In the following month of December, we celebrated a magnificent funeral in  Conservatory. The eulogy was played by his friend, the Marquis Basilio Puoti. The mass of requiem was the same that he wrote in view of his sad death and was executed by students of the Conservatory of Music. 
For his work was rewarded with several honors in life. The King of Saxony, on 26 January 1835, awarded him an honorary letter of thanks and the gift of a gold box for having composed a mass. Francis I, King of Naples, awarded him the Knight's Cross of the Order. It was an ordinary member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts “Pontaniana”. Ordinary member of the class IV 's Academy of Fine Arts in France. Corresponding with his medal, the Imperial Conservatory of Music in Paris.Correspondent of the V class of the historian in Paris. Maestro of the Congregation in Rome. Ordinary member of the Naples Philharmonic Society. He was maestro di cappella of the Cathedral of Naples. The Academy of Fine Arts in Berlin sent him a diploma.

Leopoldo Fontanarosa

Leopold Stokowski, or the freedom to interpret...

"A painter paints his pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence."
                                                                                                                         Leopold Stokowski

How would have wrote his music Johann Sebastian Bach, if he was born in the nineteenth century and had to compose for a great symphony orchestra? This is what they ask themselves many composers and musicians from a hundred years or so. One of these was the great conductor Leopold Stokowski who transcribed many works of the great German composer for symphony orchestra.

But the decidedly romantic interpretation of this transcriptions,  sparked some purist critics who spoke of sacrilege. And today? With the rivers of ink have been poured on how it should be interpret the baroque music, especially Bach, performances like those of the great Leopold would perhaps unimaginable in our area.

The interpretation of the music of the seventeenth and eighteenth century has faced in recent years a progressive crystallization. Everywhere in Italy and in Europe have arisen chairs of baroque instruments and many manuals have been written with strict rules for the interpretation of baroque music. This subtracts more and more freedom to the musicians, who should have the right to be as close as possible to that which was the way to perform this music at the time, both totally reinterpret it, molding  in according to his own time and culture, giving new life to the music!

We also forget that the Baroque was the era of fantasy, of the excess of improvisation, of the performer liberty. So, they are welcome detailed studies on baroque performance practice (but I remember that, having no records, it is impossible to reconstruct exactly the ancient way of playing), and also increase the philological performances with original instruments. But avoid to pontificate on what you can do and what not, saying that experimentation about new ways of interpreting a composer is a product of populist subculture, as if the musicians has become a mere executor of ideas imposed by other.

The Music is alive. Music is life and like life, cannot be reined in patterns and codicils.

Through Leopold Stokowski’s fascinating and persuasive orchestrations, contemporaries people may find the curiosity to approach also the “original” Bach.

But this is just my opinion…

L.F.