Niccolò Antonio Zingarelli facts for kids

Niccolò Antonio Zingarelli (born April 4, 1752 – died May 5, 1837) was an Italian composer. He was mostly known for writing operas.

Who Was Niccolò Antonio Zingarelli?

Niccolò Antonio Zingarelli

Niccolò Antonio Zingarelli was a famous Italian composer. He lived a long life and wrote many different kinds of music. He is best known for his operas, which are plays where the story is told through singing.

His Early Life and Music Studies

Zingarelli was born in Naples, Italy. When he was just seven years old, he started studying music. He went to the Santa Maria di Loreto Conservatory, a special music school in Naples. There, he learned from teachers like Fedele Fenaroli.

Working in Milan and Loreto

In 1789, Zingarelli traveled to Paris, France. He went there to write an opera called Antigone. However, he had to leave France quickly because of the French Revolution. This was a big change in France where people fought for new ways of governing.

After leaving France, Zingarelli returned to Italy. In 1793, he became the music director at Milan Cathedral. He stayed there for about a year. Then, in 1794, he got an important job as the music director at the Santa Casa in Loreto.

Time in Rome and Facing Napoleon

In 1804, Zingarelli became the choir master for the Sistine Chapel in Rome. This was a very important position. Seven years later, he showed his strong Italian pride. He refused to conduct a special song for Napoleon's new baby son. Napoleon was a powerful French emperor at the time.

Because Zingarelli refused, he was arrested and taken to Paris. But Napoleon actually admired Zingarelli's music a lot. So, the emperor soon set him free. Zingarelli even received money from the government after that.

Leading Music in Naples

In 1813, Zingarelli moved back to Naples. He became the Director of the Conservatory there, which is a top music school. A few years later, in 1816, he took over from another famous composer, Giovanni Paisiello. Zingarelli became the choir master at Naples Cathedral. He held this important job until he passed away in 1837.

He died in a town called Torre del Greco. Another famous composer, Donizetti, wrote a special sad song for Zingarelli's funeral.

What Kind of Music Did He Write?

Zingarelli wrote many different types of music. He started his career focusing on operas. Later, he also wrote a lot of sacred music for churches.

His Operas: Stories Set to Music

When he was younger, Zingarelli spent most of his time writing operas. His very first opera was Montezuma, which was performed in 1781. People in Naples thought it was a bit too "learned" or complicated. However, another famous composer, Joseph Haydn, liked it so much that he brought it back to the stage a few years later.

His opera Antigone, which he wrote in Paris, didn't become very popular. After that, Zingarelli decided to stick to musical styles that people already knew and liked. He wrote 37 operas in total, and many of them were funny or "comic" operas.

Between 1785 and 1803, he often wrote for the famous La Scala opera house in Milan. His first opera there was Alsinda. He had big successes with Il mercato di Monfregoso and La secchia rapita. Today, many people think his opera Giulietta e Romeo is his best work. His last opera, Berenice, was also very popular during his lifetime.

Here are some of his operas that still exist:

Some of his operas are lost, meaning we don't have them anymore.

Sacred Music for Churches

Zingarelli was a very religious person. Because of this, he spent a lot of time writing sacred music. This included music for masses, oratorios (like a play but sung, usually about a religious story), and cantatas (songs for singers and instruments).

For the church in Loreto, he wrote a huge number of pieces – 541 works! This included 28 different masses. When he was 80 years old, he wrote a "Cantata Sacra" for a music festival. Just before he died, he also wrote an oratorio called "The Flight into Egypt." His requiem mass, which he wrote for his own funeral, is thought to be one of his most heartfelt church pieces.

Teaching and Music Books

Zingarelli also wrote two important books for teaching music. These books contained exercises called "partimenti." They are a big collection of these exercises, second only to those written by his teacher, Fedele Fenaroli.

See also

In Spanish: Nicola Antonio Zingarelli para niños