Montezuema served as the debut opera for Niccolò Antonio Zingarelli on 13 August 1781, staged at the San Carlo in Naples. Although the production drew interest, the local public found the composition too learned for their tastes. This early effort marked the beginning of a prolific career that spanned decades of operatic and sacred music composition.
Formative Years and Early Career
Born in 1752 in Naples, Zingarelli began his musical education at the age of seven at the Santa Maria di Loreto conservatory. Under the instruction of Fenaroli and Speranza, he developed the skills that eventually led him to Paris in 1789. There, he worked on the opera Antigone. Following his departure from France during the revolution, he held appointments as maestro di cappella at Milan Cathedral and later at the Basilica della Santa Casa in Loreto.
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In 1804, he assumed the role of choir master at the Sistine Chapel in Rome. His career faced significant turmoil when he refused to conduct a Te Deum in St. Peter's Basilica to honor Napoleon's newborn son. As an Italian patriot, he viewed the request as unacceptable. This act of defiance led to his arrest and transport to Paris, though Napoleon eventually released him and granted him a state pension.
Leadership in Naples
Upon returning to Italy, Zingarelli settled in Naples in 1813 to serve as the director of the conservatory. In 1816, he succeeded Giovanni Paisiello as choir master of Naples Cathedral. He maintained this tenure until his death in 1837 at Torre del Greco. Donizetti composed a sinfonia funebre specifically for his funeral service.
Operatic and Sacred Contributions
Zingarelli wrote 37 operas, achieving success with works such as Il mercato di Monfregoso and La secchia rapita, while Giulietta e Romeo is often cited as his most significant contribution to the genre. Beyond secular theater, he produced 541 works for Loreto, including 28 masses. His late output included an oratorio titled The Flight into Egypt and a requiem mass he composed for his own burial.
Fast facts
- Born: 1752, Naples
- Died: 1837, Torre del Greco
- Primary occupations: Composer, conductor, musicologist
- Total operas written: 37
- Works composed for Loreto: 541
- Notable position: Choir master of the Sistine Chapel
- Membership: Académie des beaux-arts
- Educational legacy: Two books of partimenti
Questions readers ask
What happened when Zingarelli refused to conduct for Napoleon?
He was captured and taken to Paris, but Napoleon, who admired his music, released him and awarded him a state pension.
Which opera is considered his best?
Giulietta e Romeo is frequently regarded as his finest operatic work.
Achievements
- Instruments: organ
- Genres: opera
