Life
Trained at the beginning of the Arcadian period, his long career led him to reach full maturity in an era of great stylistic richness, where Arcadian solidity fused with the elegance of Rococo and the new ideas of the Enlightenment.
Born in Pisa in 1690, Francesco Ciampi embarked on a career as a violinist and composer. He was active as chapel master for Duke Alderamo Cybo-Malaspina of Massa, for whom he wrote operas and theatrical music. On July 3, 1719, he entered the Accademia Filarmonica in Bologna, a sign of the recognition of his talent.
In 1735 he moved to Rome, where he took up the post of chapel master of the church of Sant’Angelo Custode. His theatrical production includes ten operas performed in various Italian cities. After 1764 there is no further news of his life.
Aneddoto
The Bolognese opera
His intermezzo L’amante ravveduto, performed in Bologna in 1725, was received with great enthusiasm by the public.Works
He composed ten operas: Sofonisba (Livorno, 1715), Tamerlano (Massa, 1716), Timocrate (Massa, 1716), Teuzzone (Massa, 1717), L’amante ravveduto (Bologna, 1725), Ciro (Milan, 1726), Lucio Vero (Mantua, 1726), Zenobia (Mantua, 1726), Onorio (Venice, 1729), and Demofoonte (Rome, 1735). These works bear witness to his activity in multiple Italian musical centers.
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 schools and, in particular, the idleness in which most of the nobility lived, considered the cause of their dissoluteness. He also denounced the low regard given to the female role.
Pubblico dominio (Commons)
