Giovanni Paisiello facts for kids

Paisiello at the clavichord, by Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, 1791. The music is from his opera Nina, o sia La pazza per amore.

Giovanni Paisiello (born May 9, 1740 – died June 5, 1816) was a famous Italian composer from the Classical music era. He was one of the most popular opera composers in the late 1700s. His style of writing operas even influenced other great composers like Mozart and Rossini.

Life of a Musical Genius

Portrait of Giovanni Paisiello, a famous composer.

Giovanni Paisiello was born in Taranto, a city in the Apulia region of Italy. He was taught by the Jesuits there. People quickly noticed his beautiful singing voice.

In 1754, he went to a music school in Naples called the Conservatorio di S. Onofrio. He studied under a teacher named Francesco Durante. Later, he became an assistant teacher himself.

After leaving the school in 1763, he wrote some short operas for their theater. One of these was so good that he was asked to write two more operas for Bologna. He also wrote a third opera for Rome.

His fame grew, and he settled in Naples for several years. Even though other composers like Niccolò Piccinni and Domenico Cimarosa were popular, Paisiello wrote many successful operas. One of his operas, L'ldolo cinese, was a big hit in Naples. Young Mozart and his father met Paisiello in Bologna in 1771.

In 1772, Paisiello started writing church music. He composed a special piece for a princess named Gennara di Borbone. That same year, he married Cecilia Pallini, and they had a happy marriage.

Years in Russia and Famous Operas

In 1776, Empress Catherine the Great invited Paisiello to Saint Petersburg, Russia. He stayed there for eight years. During this time, he wrote many wonderful works. His most famous opera, Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), became known all over Europe.

This opera was very important in Italian music history. It showed a shift from the gentle style of the 1700s to a more exciting, brilliant style.

Years later, in 1816, another composer named Gioachino Rossini wrote his own version of The Barber of Seville. Paisiello's fans were very upset and even caused a riot at Rossini's first performance! Today, Rossini's version is more famous, but Paisiello's opera was a huge success in its time.

Paisiello left Russia in 1784. After presenting his opera Il Re Teodoro in Vienna, he began working for King Ferdinand IV of Naples. Here, he composed many of his best operas, including Nina and La Molinara.

Return to Italy and Later Life

The Irish singer Michael Kelly saw Paisiello and Mozart meet again in Vienna. Mozart wanted Paisiello to hear his new music and his student play.

Later, in 1802, Napoleon invited Paisiello to Paris. Napoleon admired Paisiello, especially after Paisiello composed a special march for the funeral of General Hoche. Napoleon treated Paisiello very well.

Paisiello wrote 94 operas. They are known for their beautiful and graceful melodies. One of his most famous tunes is "Nel cor più non mi sento" from La Molinara. Even Beethoven and Paganini wrote their own versions of this tune for piano and violin. Another popular song is "Chi vuol la zingarella" from I zingari in fiera. It paints a vivid picture of a charming gypsy girl.

Besides operas, Paisiello also wrote a lot of church music, including eight masses. He also composed many instrumental pieces and songs. He even wrote the national anthem for the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, called Inno al Re.

Experts say that Paisiello was one of the most successful and important opera composers of his time. Most of his over 80 operas are comedies. They use a simple, lively, and direct style. Later, his music showed more colorful sounds and warmer melodies, which influenced Mozart.

A Look at Paisiello's Works

Giovanni Paisiello was a very busy composer! He wrote many different kinds of music during his life.

Operas

Paisiello is most famous for his operas. An opera is a play where the story is told mostly through singing, with music played by an orchestra. He wrote nearly 100 operas! Some of his most well-known operas include:

• Il barbiere di Siviglia, ovvero La precauzione inutile (The Barber of Seville, or The Useless Precaution) – This was a huge hit in his time.
• Nina, o sia La pazza per amore (Nina, or The Girl Crazed by Love)
• L'amor contrastato (Love Contested), also known as La molinarella (The Miller-Girl) – This opera contains the famous tune "Nel cor più non mi sento."
• Proserpine

Other Music

Besides operas, Paisiello also composed:

• Church Music: He wrote many pieces for church services, including masses and other sacred songs.
• Instrumental Works: He composed music for instruments only, like string quartets (for four string instruments) and concertos for keyboard (like a piano) and orchestra. He also wrote a funeral march for General Hoche.

Images for kids

• 

  Paisiello at the clavichord, by Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, 1791. The music is from his opera Nina, o sia La pazza per amore.

• 

  Portrait of Giovanni Paisiello, a famous composer.

See also

In Spanish: Giovanni Paisiello para niños