Life
Trained at the height of Arcadia, his artistic maturity was expressed in a context of great stylistic richness, in which the solid Arcadian structure confronted and merged with the elegance of Rococo and the new ideas of the Enlightenment.
Giuseppe Carcani was born in Crema in 1703. In 1739 he succeeded Johann Adolf Hasse as chapel master of the Ospedale degli Incurabili in Venice, distinguishing himself for his skill in conducting and composition. In 1744 he obtained the same position at the Cathedral of Piacenza, succeeding Giovanni Battista Benzoni, and remained there until his death.
From 1744 to 1760 he also directed the chapel of San Giovanni in Canale and was a prominent figure at the Bourbon court of Parma and Piacenza, presiding over official and private functions. Despite his prestige, he encountered conflicts with Guillaume du Tillot, the Bourbon minister, who in 1760 ordered his replacement in certain official roles. His musical stature was such, however, that Hasse himself, in a 1768 letter, expressed hope for his return to Venice.
His music, praised by Francesco Caffi and Giuseppe Carpani, reveals the transition between the Late Baroque style and the new trends of the eighteenth century. He died in Piacenza in 1779.
Aneddoto
The desired return
In 1768, Hasse wrote that he would have liked to see Carcani once again as master at the Incurabili in Venice, proof of the esteem he continued to enjoy.Works
Carcani wrote theatrical works such as Demetrio (1742, Crema), Ambleto (1742, Venice), Alcibiade (1746, Venice), Artaserse (1748, Piacenza), Il Tigrane (1750, Milan), and Arianna e Teseo (1759, Verona). He composed cantatas such as La concordia del Tempo colla Fama (1740, Venice) and Il trionfo della gloria (1745, Piacenza), oratorios such as Giuditta (1745, Foligno) and Santa Barbara (1760, Venice), as well as a great deal of sacred music.
His instrumental production includes symphonies, sonatas, and concertini, including the Sinfonia for two violins and bass (1747) and a Trio Sonata for two flutes and bass (circa 1750). His music circulated widely and reflects a versatile and creative personality.
Briciole di storia
The vices of Italians
In the heart of the eighteenth century, Pietro Calepio wrote a Letter on Italian Customs that was translated into French and published in 1728 in the prestigious Bibliothèque Italique. In this text, which became very well known, Calepio did not limit himself to describing Italy in general, but clearly and sincerely denounced various vices of Italian society. Among his sharpest criticisms was the poor functioning of educational institutions and, in particular, the idleness in which most of the nobility lived, considered the cause of their dissoluteness. He also denounced the low consideration given to the female role.
Pubblico dominio (Commons)
