Home > Gaspare Spontini

As a youth, Spontini studied at the Conservatorio della Pietà de' Turchini in Naples. In 1803, he went to Paris, where he was appointed court composer in 1805.

In 1807, Spontini wrote La Vestale, his best known work. Written with the encouragement of Empress Joséphine, its premiere at the Paris Opera established Spontini as one of the greatest Italian composers of his age. His contemporaries Cherubini and Meyerbeer considered it a masterpiece, and later composers like Berlioz and Wagner admired it. Spontini's later, likewise highly regarded Olimpie (1819, revised 1820, 1826) met with indifference, leading him to leave Paris for Prussia, where he became Kappelmeister and chief conductor at the Berlin Volksopera .

During the 20th century, Spontini's operas were only rarely performed. Perhaps the most famous modern production was the revival of La Vestale with Maria Callas at La ScalaThe Teatro alla Scala (or La Scala for short), in Milan, Italy, is one of the world's most famous opera houses. The current edifice is the second theater on the site. A fire destroyed the first, the ancient Teatro Ducale, on 25 February 1776, after a carn at the opening of the 1954 season, to mark the 180th anniversary of the composer's birth. The stage director was famed cinematic director Luchino ViscontiLuchino Visconti, Duke of Modrone ( November 2, 1906 March 17, 1976) was an Italian theatre and cinema director and writer. Born in a noble and wealthy family (one of the richest of northern Italy) in Milan, at the age of 30 he went to Paris, and began hi. That production was also the La Scala debut of tenor Franco CorelliFranco Corelli ( 8 April 1921 29 October 2003) was an Italian tenor active in opera from the 1950s to 1976. He was noted for his charismatic stage presence and physical attractiveness as well as his powerful voice. He was born in Ancona, the son of a ship. Callas recorded the arias "Tu che invoco" and "O Nume tutela" from La Vestale in 1955 (as did Rosa Ponselle in 1926). In 1969, conductor Fernando Previtali revived the opera, with soprano Leyla Gencer and bass-baritone Renato Bruson. (An unofficial recording is in circulation.) In 1995, conductor Riccardo MutiRiccardo Muti (born July 28, 1941) is an Italian conductor best known for being the music director of Milan's La Scala opera house, a position he has held since 1986. Muti was born in Naples. In 1967, he won the Cantelli Prize for young conductors. From 1 recorded it with a cast of lesser-known singers.

Other revivals of Spontini include Agnes di Hohenstaufen at the Maggio Musicale festival in Florence in 1954, conducted by Vittorio Gui , and in Rome in 1970, with Montserrat CaballéThe Catalan soprano Montserrat Caball (born 12 April 1933) is a famous opera singer, renowned for her bel canto technique and her interpretations of the great bel canto roles of Rossini, Bellini, and Donizetti. Caballe was born Maria de Montserrat Viviana and Antonietta Stella, conducted by Riccardo Muti. Fernando Cortez was revived in 1951, with a young Renata TebaldiThe opera singer Renata Tebaldi (born February 1, 1922) is a famous soprano. Considered one of the great post-war divas, she was greatly admired for the beauty and purity of her voice, and her elegant stage presence. She was born Renata Ersilia Clotilde T, at the San CarloThe San Carlo is a famous opera house in Naples, Italy. It is the oldest working theater in Europe. The San Carlo was built by the Bourbon monarch Charles III of Spain who wanted to endow Naples with a theatre. The theater was inaugurated on the 4 Novembe (Naples) conducted by Gabriele Santini.