Life
His training took place at a fertile cultural crossroads where Arcadia, Rococo, and the Enlightenment intersected, 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.
Born in Turin in 1730, Ignazio Celoniati was the son of Giovanni Giuseppe, a court violinist. He followed in his father's footsteps, also becoming a violinist and taking over the direction of court balls. From around 1750 he was active as an instrumentalist in both the Savoy court orchestra and that of the Teatro Regio.
He composed numerous theatrical works, collaborating with librettists such as Pietro Chiari, Apostolo Zeno, and Pietro Metastasio. Simultaneously, he worked as an impresario: between 1777 and 1780 he organized shows at the Teatro Carignano in Turin, staging works by himself and other authors.
He died in his hometown in 1784, leaving a memory of a versatile musician capable of uniting violin playing, composition, and entrepreneurial activities.
Aneddoto
A violinist-impresario
His dual activity as a musician and impresario made him a central figure at the Teatro Carignano, where he successfully balanced art and organization.Works
Theatrical works: Il caffè di campagna, dramma giocoso (Turin, Teatro Carignano, 1752 or 1762); Tigrane, libretto by Apostolo Zeno (Pesaro, Teatro del Sole, 1757); Ecuba, libretto by Jacopo Durandi (Turin, Teatro Regio, 1769); Didone abbandonata, libretto by Pietro Metastasio (Milan, Teatro Regio Ducale, 1769).
Instrumental music: concerto for harpsichord, two violins, and bass (1768); sonatas for two violins and basso continuo; sonatas for violin and basso continuo; overtures for orchestra; duets, quartets, arias, minuets, and dances, many of which are lost.
Briciole di storia
Pubblico dominio (Commons)
