Luigi Marchesi (Italian pronunciation: [luˈiË dÊ'i marˈkeË zi]; 8
August 1754 â€" 14 December 1829) was an Italian castrato singer, one
of the most prominent and charismatic to appear in Europe during the
second half of the eighteenth century.Luigi Ludovico Marchesi was born
in Milan. He joined the Milan Cathedral choir in 1765 and made his
operatic debut in Rome in 1773 at the Teatro delle Dame, cast as a
female character, in Marcello da Capua's comic opera La contessina.
For several years, Marchesi appeared either in minor roles or minor
operatic centers, but he found a valuable ally in the Czech composer
Josef MysliveÄ ek after he appeared in the latter's opera Ezio and
oratorio Isacco figura del redentore in Munich early in the year 1777.
Marchesi's singing in both productions was considered to be
extraordinary. In a letter written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to his
father from Munich on 11 October 1777, it is mentioned that
MysliveÄ ek bragged of his influence with the management of the Teatro
San Carlo in Naples, the most prestigious venue for the performance of
Italian serious opera in Europe: he apparently had the power to
recommend the engagement of singers who were to be featured in
productions planned for the 1778â€"79 operatic season there. Marchesi
was one of the singers that MysliveÄ ek recommended. His first
appearances in Naples were as successful as those in Munich, and they
permanently established him as one of the most talented vocal artists
in Italy. In all, MysliveÄ ek created five operatic roles for Marchesi
before his premature death in 1781. After Marchesi's triumphs
throughout Italy in the late 1770s and early 1780s, he ventured all
the way to Vienna, St. Petersburg, and London, where he created a
tremendous sensation and was proclaimed to be the greatest singer of
his time. In London he was billed as Virtuoso di Camera to his
Sicilian Majesty. The Earl of Mount Edgcumbe described Marchesi's
impression at London as following:In 1796 Marchesi refused to sing for
Napoleon when he entered the city of Milan. For this Marchesi was
honored as a national hero by the public, as reported by Vernon
Lee:Marchesi's last major appearance was in Simon Mayr's Ginevra di
Scozia for the inauguration of the Teatro Nuovo in Trieste (1801). He
continued to appear in public for a few more years, until 1806, when
he retired for good and moved to his villa at Inzago, where he died on
14 December 1829. After his retirement Marchesi did not go into
obscurity; once in a while, when in good health, he used to arrange a
couple of private concerts; some of them were dedicated to charity,
particularly for poor orphaned children.
August 1754 â€" 14 December 1829) was an Italian castrato singer, one
of the most prominent and charismatic to appear in Europe during the
second half of the eighteenth century.Luigi Ludovico Marchesi was born
in Milan. He joined the Milan Cathedral choir in 1765 and made his
operatic debut in Rome in 1773 at the Teatro delle Dame, cast as a
female character, in Marcello da Capua's comic opera La contessina.
For several years, Marchesi appeared either in minor roles or minor
operatic centers, but he found a valuable ally in the Czech composer
Josef MysliveÄ ek after he appeared in the latter's opera Ezio and
oratorio Isacco figura del redentore in Munich early in the year 1777.
Marchesi's singing in both productions was considered to be
extraordinary. In a letter written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to his
father from Munich on 11 October 1777, it is mentioned that
MysliveÄ ek bragged of his influence with the management of the Teatro
San Carlo in Naples, the most prestigious venue for the performance of
Italian serious opera in Europe: he apparently had the power to
recommend the engagement of singers who were to be featured in
productions planned for the 1778â€"79 operatic season there. Marchesi
was one of the singers that MysliveÄ ek recommended. His first
appearances in Naples were as successful as those in Munich, and they
permanently established him as one of the most talented vocal artists
in Italy. In all, MysliveÄ ek created five operatic roles for Marchesi
before his premature death in 1781. After Marchesi's triumphs
throughout Italy in the late 1770s and early 1780s, he ventured all
the way to Vienna, St. Petersburg, and London, where he created a
tremendous sensation and was proclaimed to be the greatest singer of
his time. In London he was billed as Virtuoso di Camera to his
Sicilian Majesty. The Earl of Mount Edgcumbe described Marchesi's
impression at London as following:In 1796 Marchesi refused to sing for
Napoleon when he entered the city of Milan. For this Marchesi was
honored as a national hero by the public, as reported by Vernon
Lee:Marchesi's last major appearance was in Simon Mayr's Ginevra di
Scozia for the inauguration of the Teatro Nuovo in Trieste (1801). He
continued to appear in public for a few more years, until 1806, when
he retired for good and moved to his villa at Inzago, where he died on
14 December 1829. After his retirement Marchesi did not go into
obscurity; once in a while, when in good health, he used to arrange a
couple of private concerts; some of them were dedicated to charity,
particularly for poor orphaned children.
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