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Giovanni Battista Pergolesi

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Giovanni Battista Pergolesi was born on 4 January 1710 in Jesi as Giovanni Battista Draghi. The name Pergolesi refers to Pergola, the town his ancestors came from. He was taught in Jesi and in 1725 went to Naples to study further. He was a composer, violinist and organist, and was regarded as one of the finest Italian musicians of the first half of the eighteenth century. He died of tuberculosis at the age of twenty-six, on 16 or 17 March 1736 in Pozzuoli.

Music and breakthrough

His best-known opera is La serva padrona (1733), a comic intermezzo that became popular in its own right. When it was performed in Paris in 1752, it set off the Querelle des Bouffons, a fierce debate about French and Italian opera. He also wrote serious operas, such as L'Olimpiade in 1735, and church music. His Stabat Mater of 1736, for soprano, alto, strings and basso continuo, is his best-known sacred work.

Influence

After his death his fame grew enormously. More than three hundred works were attributed to him, of which modern scholars regard only about thirty as genuine. Stravinsky's ballet Pulcinella (1920) is also a tribute to his style, although many of its pieces turn out to be by other composers. His music can be found on many albums of Baroque music.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to the opening of the Stabat Mater and notice how the two vocal parts follow each other and move together. Hear how the strings support them softly.

Discography

Studio albums

Categories: Artists