Matteo Capranica: Neapolitan organist and opera composer

Life

His training took place in a context dominated by the Arcadian style and the rising gallantry of the Rococo, while his maturity saw him operating in the heart of the eighteenth-century debate, between the elegance of the Rococo style and the critical and reforming spirit of the Enlightenment.

Matteo Capranica was born in Amatrice in 1708. He studied in Naples at the Conservatory of Sant’Onofrio a Porta Capuana with illustrious masters such as Nicola Porpora, Ignazio Prota, and Francesco Feo. After completing his studies, he embarked on a career that saw him as a chapel master in several Neapolitan churches, organist at the Cathedral, and also active as a theatrical composer.

He debuted in 1736 at the Teatro Nuovo in Naples with the opera buffa Il Carlo, followed by other comic works such as L’amante impazzito (1738) and L’Eugenia (1745). He also composed opera seria, such as Alcibiade (1746, Rome) and Merope (1751, Rome). In parallel, he wrote oratorios, including San Gaetano (1739, Macerata) and Debbora (1742, Cesena).

His sacred music includes psalms, masses, cantatas, and organ pages, such as six toccatas for harpsichord and various sonatas for violin and strings. Appointed organist of the second choir of the Chapel of the Treasure of San Gennaro in Naples, he was a central figure in the city's musical life.

According to legend, he completed the opera La finta frascatana left unfinished by Leonardo Leo, a sign of his reputation among his colleagues. He died in Naples after 1776, leaving a corpus of works that reflects the energy and variety of the Neapolitan school.

Works

Capranica's catalog includes numerous theatrical works: Il Carlo (1736, Naples), L’amante impazzito (1738, Naples), L’Eugenia (1745, Naples), Alcibiade (1746, Rome), L’Emilia (1747, Naples), L’Aurelio (1748, Naples), Merope (1751, Rome), La schiava amante (1753, Naples), and L’Olindo (1753, Naples, in collaboration with Nicola Conti). He also composed oratorios such as San Gaetano (1739, Macerata) and Debbora (1742, Cesena), cantatas like the Cantata di Calendimaggio (1748, Malta), as well as a vast sacred corpus including Dixit Dominus, Salve Regina, sonatas and toccatas for harpsichord, arias, and duets.