Home > Luigi Cherubini

Cherubini was born in Florence. His instruction in music began at the age of six with his father, himself a musician. By the age of thirteen, he had composed several religious works. From 1778 to 1780, he studied music in Bologna and Milan.

In 1788, Cherubini settled in Paris. In the years following, he met with only partial success as an opera composer. His first major success was Lodoïska (1791) which was admired for its realistic heroism. This was followed by Médée (1797), which is Cherubini's best known work, and Les deux journées (1800). However, his works had to be performed in the small Theatre de la Foire Saint-Germain because the grand opera house was closed to him. His idealism, his independent disposition, and above all the austere, lofty character of his music, prevented him from becoming popular among his contemporaries. However, his fortunes improved slightly in 1795 when he was appointed inspector at the Paris Conservatoire.

In 1805, Cherubini received an invitation from Vienna to write an opera and to direct it in person. Faniska was produced the following year and was enthusiastically received, in particular, by Haydn and Beethoven.

Disappointed with his lack of success in the theater, Cherubini turned increasingly to church music, writing seven masses, two requiems and many shorter pieces. During this period, he was also appointed surintendant de la musique du roi under the restored monarchy. In 1815, the London Philharmonic Society commissioned him to write a symphony, an overture, and a composition for chorus and orchestra, the performance of which he went especially to London to conduct, and this increased his international fame.

Cherubini's Requiem in C-minor (1816), commemorating the anniversary of the execution of King Louis XVI of France, was a huge success. The work was greatly admired by Beethoven, Schumann and Brahms.

In 1822, Cherubini became director of the Conservatoire and completed his textbook, Cours de contrepoint et de fugue, in 1835.

He died in Paris at age 81.

With arrival in Paris in the 1820s of the brilliant, effervescent operas of RossiniGioacchino Antonio Rossini ( February 29, 1792 — November 13, 1868) was an Italian musical composer who wrote more than 30 operas as well as sacred music and chamber music. His best known works include Il Barbiere di Siviglia The Barber of Seville , and W with their vocal pyrotechnics, the classically austere operas of Cherubini, like those of GluckChristoph Willibald Gluck ( July 2, 1714 November 15, 1787) was a German composer. He is seen as one of the most important opera composers of the Classical music era, and is particularly remembered for the opera Orfeo ed Euridice''. He also wrote other wo and SpontiniGaspare Spontini ( 14 November, 1774 24 January, 1851) was an Italian opera composer and conductor. Born in Maiolati in the province of Ancona, now Maiolati Spontini, he spent most of his career in Paris and Berlin, but returned to his place of birth at t, fell out of fashion. However, Médée (or Medea as it is known in Italy) is occasionally revived when a singer is available who can handle the role. Perhaps the most famous 20th century revival of the work was in Florence in 1953, with Maria CallasThe Greek soprano Maria Callas ( December 2, 1923 September 16, 1977) was the most famous opera singer of the postwar period. Callas combined an impeccable bel canto technique with great dramatic gifts, making her the most famous singing actress of the er in the title role and conducted by Leonard BernsteinLeonard Bernstein ( August 25, 1918 October 14, 1990) was an American Jewish composer and orchestra conductor. Bernstein was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts and studied at Harvard. He was highly regarded as a conductor, composer, pianist, and educator..

Another opera of Cherubini, Les Abencérages, was revived (in Italian) at the Maggio Musicale in Florence in 1957 under the baton of Carlo Maria GiuliniCarlo Maria Giulini (born May 9, 1914) is a Italian conductor. Born in Barletta, he studied the viola and conducting at the Academy of Santa Cecilia in Rome. He worked at Milan Radio from 1946 to 1951, where he revived a number of obscure operas, includin.

Cherubini's Requiem in C-minor is also occasionally performed. Most notably, Arturo ToscaniniArturo Toscanini ( March 25, 1867 January 16, 1957) was considered by many of his contemporaries — critics, fellow musicians, and the public alike — as the greatest conductor of his era. He was renowned for his brilliant intensity, his restless perfection conducted and made a recording of it with the NBC Symphony Orchestra in February 1950.