Life
His entire creative arc, from training to full maturity, unfolded consistently within the great flow of Italian Romanticism, reaching the threshold of post-unification Realism.
Born in Codroipo in 1809, Candotti was largely self-taught. He soon became the chapel master of the Cividale Cathedral, succeeding Giovanni Battista Rizzotti. He remained in office until his death, passionately dedicating himself to the reform of sacred music.
Together with his pupil Jacopo Tomadini, whom he considered his "greatest masterpiece," he worked to reduce the operatic influence in churches, favoring a contrapuntal language and a style closer to Palestrina. His works after 1850 show a sober and solemn writing style.
He was a severe author even with himself: in his catalog, he noted critical judgments on his early compositions, revealing a strong artistic self-awareness. In addition to sacred music, he wrote organ works, in which traces of the then-dominant Rossinian taste remain.
He died in Cividale del Friuli in 1876. A large part of his music is preserved in the city's Chapter Archive.
Aneddoto
The favorite pupil
Candotti defined his pupil Jacopo Tomadini as “his greatest masterpiece,” revealing how much he believed in the value of musical training and transmission.Works
Candotti's corpus includes hundreds of compositions, mostly in manuscript form. Among the most significant are the Mass in D minor op. 330, motets in the Palestrinian style, liturgical hymns, and organ pieces. Of particular importance is the Hymn of Saint John Nepomucene, commissioned by the imperial chapel in Prague, a sign of the European diffusion of his music.