A prodigy cut short
The Italian composer Giovanni Battista Pergolesi was born to parents Francesco Andrea Draghi and Anna Vittoria Giorgi in Jesi, Italy on January 3 in the year 1710. It is very likely that at this young age, Pergolesi’s health was quite fragile as his confirmation occurred when he was 18 months of age as opposed to the age of 6, as is far more common. An early confirmation would have taken place in cases in which it was thought that a child did not have long to live. Sadly, Tuberculosis and poor health stalked his family- Pergolesi had two brothers and a sister, all of which were lost to illness in infancy; his mother passed away; and though his father remarried, his stepmother died in childbirth when Pergolesi was 20; and his father died soon after. Pergolesi had a deformed left leg, most likely due to polio, and lived most of his life with Tuberculosis, which ultimately killed him at the age of 26. His short time spent on the earth makes his musical accomplishments and influences much more astonishing and noteworthy.
Pergolesi possessed a remarkable musical talent at a tremendously young age. This extraordinary talent became apparent to his public violin instructor and two priests who directed the cathedral choir to which he attended. This recognition coupled with his father’s professional connections with the local nobility as a surveyor resulted in sending Pergolesi (then around he age of 16) to the‘Conservatorio dei Poveri di Gesu Cristo’ in Naples in the early 1720s to study violin and counterpoint. The maestro di capella Gaetano Greco was Pergolesi’s instructor in composition until he passed away in 1728. Greco was then followed by Leonardo Vinci for several months and then by Francesco Durante- both of whom were highly accomplished composers and instructors to young musicians. As he took part in multiple musical performances within the conservatory, such as being a choir boy, violinist, and later a capoparanza - which is the leading violinist within a group of instrumentalists that performed throughout the area - Pergolesi was not required to pay tuition.
This wonderful instruction in multiple genres of music could very well have attributed to his versatility in his own compositional skills. The conservatory Pergolesi attended provided exceptional students the ability to make their public compositional debuts, and once selected, these students were then instructed to compose a three-act religious opera with comedic scenes dispersed within it in attempt to lighten the mood. Pergolesi was indeed one of the exceptional students elected and made his debut as a composer, releasing his earliest works such as ‘Li prodigi della divina grazia nella conversione di S Guglielmo Duca d’Aquitania’, ‘Sallustia’, and ‘Amor fa l’uomo cieco’; all of which earned him minimal concern from those surrounding him. However “San Guglielmo d’Aquitania” was revived twice in Rome in 1742 after Pergolesi’s death.
Because of the lack of interest in these works in his time, he turned his attention to composing more sacred compositions. After some time of composing these sacred works, Pergolesi was once again seduced by the appealing allure of opera and began to compose several works for the San Bartolomeo Theatre at Naples; most of which did not gain any worthy recognition until after his death. Though there is no definite date recorded, it is estimated that Pergolesi must have left the conservatory in the late summer of 1731.
In the year 1732 at the youthful age of 22, Pergolesi became Maestro di Cappella to the Prince of Stigliano, a Neapolitan nobleman. In 1733 he published (in many scholars’ opinions) his operatic masterpiece and oftentimes most well known work: ‘La Serva Padrona’ (The Servant Turned Mistress). La Serva Padrona is a two act intermezzo (meaning a work performed in between acts of a larger opera) best described as an opera buffa - a genre attributed to Italian opera in which the storyline is more comedic than a tragedy, which until opera buffa became more popular (due in large part to Pergolesi’s help), was what one would typically find upon entering an opera house. Unfortunately, Pergolesi’s success did not continue as one would expect. To his utter disbelief, Pergolesi’s opera ‘Olimpiade’ sadly failed within the public’s eyes. According to one of Pergolesi’s students, it was too advanced for the average person in that time period and above their intelligence. However, Pergolesi’s most famous sacred work, ‘Sabat Mater’ was soon to be written. Sadly, the inspiration for the haunting and moving melody was the result of a broken heart.
According to scholars, Pergolesi fell in love with a woman of noble birth, Maria Spinelli. Though her feelings matched his, her family refused to consent to their marriage. After a period of 3 days in which Maria was demanded to designate a husband, she refused to marry anyone else and purportedly died of a broken heart in 1735. Pergolesi conducted the Requiem at her funeral. As his health continued to worsen, it is speculated that this heart ache inspired his final stroke of genius which resulted in the ‘Sabat Mater’. A year after Spinelli’s passing, on March 15th in 1736, Tuberculosis finally won out, and Giovanni Pergolesi’s short, yet immeasurably influential life ended.
Bibliography
Arnold, Denis and Elizabeth Roche . "Pergolesi, Giovanni Battista." The Oxford Companion to Music. Ed. Alison Latham. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. Thurs.\
29 November. 2012. < http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/opr/t114/e5092>.
Brook, B.S. "Neopolitan Specialty." Opera News 55.2 (1990): 28. Academic Search Complete. Tues. 13 Nov. 2012.
"Giovanni Battista Pergolesi." YourDictionary, n.d. Wed. 14 November 2012.
Helmut Hucke and Dale E. Monson. "Pergolesi, Giovanni Battista." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. Thurs. 29 November. 2012
<http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/21325>.
Minderovic, Zoran. “Giovanni Pergolesi.” All Music by Rovi. Wed. 14 November 2012.
Trevor, Claude. “Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (Born: January 3, 1710. Died: March 15, 1736.)” The Musical Times Vol. 51. No. 806. (1910): pp. 232-233. Musical Times
Publications Ltd.
Pergolesi possessed a remarkable musical talent at a tremendously young age. This extraordinary talent became apparent to his public violin instructor and two priests who directed the cathedral choir to which he attended. This recognition coupled with his father’s professional connections with the local nobility as a surveyor resulted in sending Pergolesi (then around he age of 16) to the‘Conservatorio dei Poveri di Gesu Cristo’ in Naples in the early 1720s to study violin and counterpoint. The maestro di capella Gaetano Greco was Pergolesi’s instructor in composition until he passed away in 1728. Greco was then followed by Leonardo Vinci for several months and then by Francesco Durante- both of whom were highly accomplished composers and instructors to young musicians. As he took part in multiple musical performances within the conservatory, such as being a choir boy, violinist, and later a capoparanza - which is the leading violinist within a group of instrumentalists that performed throughout the area - Pergolesi was not required to pay tuition.
This wonderful instruction in multiple genres of music could very well have attributed to his versatility in his own compositional skills. The conservatory Pergolesi attended provided exceptional students the ability to make their public compositional debuts, and once selected, these students were then instructed to compose a three-act religious opera with comedic scenes dispersed within it in attempt to lighten the mood. Pergolesi was indeed one of the exceptional students elected and made his debut as a composer, releasing his earliest works such as ‘Li prodigi della divina grazia nella conversione di S Guglielmo Duca d’Aquitania’, ‘Sallustia’, and ‘Amor fa l’uomo cieco’; all of which earned him minimal concern from those surrounding him. However “San Guglielmo d’Aquitania” was revived twice in Rome in 1742 after Pergolesi’s death.
Because of the lack of interest in these works in his time, he turned his attention to composing more sacred compositions. After some time of composing these sacred works, Pergolesi was once again seduced by the appealing allure of opera and began to compose several works for the San Bartolomeo Theatre at Naples; most of which did not gain any worthy recognition until after his death. Though there is no definite date recorded, it is estimated that Pergolesi must have left the conservatory in the late summer of 1731.
In the year 1732 at the youthful age of 22, Pergolesi became Maestro di Cappella to the Prince of Stigliano, a Neapolitan nobleman. In 1733 he published (in many scholars’ opinions) his operatic masterpiece and oftentimes most well known work: ‘La Serva Padrona’ (The Servant Turned Mistress). La Serva Padrona is a two act intermezzo (meaning a work performed in between acts of a larger opera) best described as an opera buffa - a genre attributed to Italian opera in which the storyline is more comedic than a tragedy, which until opera buffa became more popular (due in large part to Pergolesi’s help), was what one would typically find upon entering an opera house. Unfortunately, Pergolesi’s success did not continue as one would expect. To his utter disbelief, Pergolesi’s opera ‘Olimpiade’ sadly failed within the public’s eyes. According to one of Pergolesi’s students, it was too advanced for the average person in that time period and above their intelligence. However, Pergolesi’s most famous sacred work, ‘Sabat Mater’ was soon to be written. Sadly, the inspiration for the haunting and moving melody was the result of a broken heart.
According to scholars, Pergolesi fell in love with a woman of noble birth, Maria Spinelli. Though her feelings matched his, her family refused to consent to their marriage. After a period of 3 days in which Maria was demanded to designate a husband, she refused to marry anyone else and purportedly died of a broken heart in 1735. Pergolesi conducted the Requiem at her funeral. As his health continued to worsen, it is speculated that this heart ache inspired his final stroke of genius which resulted in the ‘Sabat Mater’. A year after Spinelli’s passing, on March 15th in 1736, Tuberculosis finally won out, and Giovanni Pergolesi’s short, yet immeasurably influential life ended.
Bibliography
Arnold, Denis and Elizabeth Roche . "Pergolesi, Giovanni Battista." The Oxford Companion to Music. Ed. Alison Latham. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. Thurs.\
29 November. 2012. < http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/opr/t114/e5092>.
Brook, B.S. "Neopolitan Specialty." Opera News 55.2 (1990): 28. Academic Search Complete. Tues. 13 Nov. 2012.
"Giovanni Battista Pergolesi." YourDictionary, n.d. Wed. 14 November 2012.
Helmut Hucke and Dale E. Monson. "Pergolesi, Giovanni Battista." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. Thurs. 29 November. 2012
<http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/21325>.
Minderovic, Zoran. “Giovanni Pergolesi.” All Music by Rovi. Wed. 14 November 2012.
Trevor, Claude. “Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (Born: January 3, 1710. Died: March 15, 1736.)” The Musical Times Vol. 51. No. 806. (1910): pp. 232-233. Musical Times
Publications Ltd.