Gaspare Spontini facts for kids

Spontini, after Nicolas-Eustache Maurin

Spontini's signature

Gaspare Luigi Pacifico Spontini (born November 14, 1774 – died January 24, 1851) was a famous Italian composer and conductor. He lived during the Classical era of music. Spontini is best known for his many operas.

Life and Music of Gaspare Spontini

Portrait of Gaspare Spontini, composer (1774-1851).

Gaspare Spontini was born in Maiolati, which was then part of the Papal States. Today, this town is called Maiolati Spontini in Italy. He spent most of his working life in Paris, France, and Berlin, Germany. Later in life, he returned to his hometown.

Early Career and Moving to Paris

When he was young, Spontini studied music at a special school in Naples, Italy. He started his career by writing operas in different Italian cities. His first big success was a comedy called Li Puntigli delle Donne in 1793.

In 1803, Spontini moved to Paris. There, he became known at the Imperial court. He even got a special job as a composer for Empress Joséphine in 1805.

His Most Famous Opera: La Vestale

Even though his early works were comedies, Empress Joséphine encouraged Spontini to write a serious opera. In 1807, he created his most famous work, La Vestale. This opera made him one of the greatest Italian composers of his time.

Many other famous composers, like Ludwig van Beethoven and Richard Wagner, admired La Vestale. It was a huge success when it first opened in Paris.

Life in Berlin and Later Years

During the time of Napoleon, Spontini wrote operas that supported the French Empire. One example is Fernand Cortez (1809). In 1811, he married Celeste Érard, and they had a happy marriage.

After Napoleon's time, the political situation in France changed. Spontini's opera Olimpie (1819) was not as popular. Because of this, he moved to Berlin, Germany, where his operas were already well-liked.

In Berlin, he became the main conductor at the Royal Opera House. He even composed the Prussian National Anthem, "Borussia." However, he eventually became unhappy with the success of other composers in Germany. In 1842, a disappointed Spontini returned to Italy, where he passed away in 1851.

Musical Works

Spontini wrote many different types of music. He is most famous for his operas.

Operas by Spontini

• Li puntigli delle donne (1796)
• L'eroismo ridicolo [scores] (1798)
• Teseo riconosciuto (1798)
• La fuga in maschera (1800)
• Le metamorfosi di Pasquale (1802)
• Milton (1804)
• Julie, ou Le pot de fleurs (1805)
• La vestale (1807)
• Fernand Cortez (1809)
• Olimpie (1819)
• Nurmahal, oder das Rosenfest von Caschmir (1822)
• Agnes von Hohenstaufen (1829)

Other Compositions

• L'eccelsa gara – A cantata (a type of vocal music) (1806)
• Tout le monde a tort – A vaudeville (a light play with songs) (1806)
• Bacchanale des Danaïdes [scores] (1817)
• Borussia [de] – The Prussian anthem (1818)
• Tout deuil [scores] (1820)
• Lalla Rûkh – A festive play (1821)

Modern Performances of His Works

For many years, Spontini's operas were not performed very often. However, some of them have been brought back to the stage in recent times.

One of the most famous modern performances was of La vestale in 1954. It starred the legendary singer Maria Callas at the La Scala opera house in Italy. This performance helped celebrate 180 years since Spontini's birth. The famous movie director Luchino Visconti directed the show.

Other operas by Spontini have also been performed again. For example, Agnes von Hohenstaufen was performed in Italy in 1954 and 1970. Fernand Cortez was also brought back to the stage in 1951. These revivals help new audiences discover Spontini's beautiful music.

See also

In Spanish: Gaspare Spontini para niños