Luigi Boccherini Dictionary of Persons, Places and Terms

LUIGI BOCCHERINI DICTIONARY OF PERSONS , PLACES AND TERMS by JAIME TORTELLA TO READERS: This book will be periodically updated with new research outcome and data, and amended of any error detected. If you want to collaborate towards this task, please contact the author or the Asociación Luigi Boccherini: [email protected] [email protected] ------- The Spanish version of this book has been published in traditional paperback as: Luigi Boccherini. Diccionario de Términos, Lugares y Personas, Asociación Luigi Boccherini, Madrid, 2008 and is distributed worldwide by Marcial Pons: [email protected] CONTENTS Pages FOREWORD by Begoña Lolo ............................................................................. 4 PREAMBLE ....................................................................................................... 7 ACRONYMS OF ARCHIVING INSTITUTIONS ............................................... 13 ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................. 14 BRIEF BIOGRAPHICAL ACCOUNT ABOUT LUIGI BOCCHERINI .............. 16 DICTIONARY (A TO Z) ................................................................................... 19 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................. 448 DISCOGRAPHY (COMPACT DISC) ................................................................ 460 FOREWORD Luigi Boccherini. Dictionary of Persons, Places and Terms is a work encompassing the difficult equilibrium and even proportion between erudition and wise divulging target. It is also a very useful reference tool allowing the reader to immediately spot and find the most relevant facts of the composer’s biography and production. Additionally, those facts are clearly placed within the historical, social, topographical and economic framework of Boccherni’s life, giving light to the rich musical and cultural environment in Spain and Italy during the second half of the 18th century. All presented with an elegant, synthetic and direct language. But the book goes beyond the initial target designed by the author, i.e. to facilitate the reader a handy way to locate all available information about the composer, as stated in its preamble. For besides offering a thorough compilation of data, the work ultra-passes its own initial target to reach a dimension only attainable by a well consolidated specialist like Jaime Tortella, who has already delivered two previous works about the Luccan musician: Luigi Boccherini y el Banco de San Carlos. Un aspecto inédito (1998) and Boccherini un músico en la España Ilustrada (2002). In fact, he puts forth a critical reflection about the composer and his works, his role within the History of Music and most particularly within Madrid’s end-of-the-century musical life. Thus, no doubt the book constitutes a highly enriching contribution since, at the end of the day, we can revisit through the composer and from a different standpoint, the complete 18th-century environment. Love brought Boccherini to Spain, even if it sounds too poetic. By late 1767, he was sojourning in Paris acting as a cellist together with violinist Manfredi in different intellectual cenacles, and he was in love with the Roman singer Clementina Pelliccia, a crew member of the Italian Opera Company conducted by Luigi Marescalchi, touring also the Paris area. In the spring, this company headed towards Spain and Boccherini managed to joint it, traveling to a country where he was to write the bulk of his wide catalogue and also the most representative of his works. He then settled in Spain for ever, and in Spain he died on May 28, 1805. His beloved Clementina died in 1785, so next year Boccherini would write a "Zarzuela" (or musical comedy) using her name for the title. The libretto was written by don Ramón de la Cruz and both responded to a commission by Earl- Duchess of Benavente where both were serving. In fact, Boccherini had been contracted in this noble house as soon as he returned from Arenas de San Pedro, right after his patron’s death. Boccherini had benn serving the Infant don Luis de Borbón, brother of King Charles III, since 1770 and now, in 1785, he had to face a new period in his life, which would come to be a most creative one. When Boccherini reached Madrid he found it to be the kernel of Spanish Enlightenment where a debate was being held between genre theater writers like don Ramón de la Cruz, Francisco Luciano Comella or Cándido María Trigueros, and the so called regenerationists, represented by Jovellanos, Iriarte and above all by Leandro Fernández de Moratín, who struggled to retrieve a way to create drama not only going back to the classical conventions but seeking not to be a sheer entertainment. They aimed at making out of the scene a means to educate the masses. Thus, Madrid showed the dual face of the “tonadilla”, the “sainete” and the “zarzuela”, by genre stage writers such as Laserna, Esteve, Rosales or Rodríguez de Hita who used to premiere their works in the popular coliseums of the Teatro de la Cruz or the Teatro del Príncipe, in front of those who were retrieving the Italian opera, programmed for the Teatro de los Caños del Peral since1787, staging pieces by Paisiello, Anfossi or Cimarosa, sang in their original language. Boccherini was to live on Spanish soil for 37 years, creating around 580 works, as compiled by professor Gérard, most of them of chamber music. Some of these works belong already to the 18th-century Madrid’s musical landscape and are mostly responsible for the general public knowledge of the composer. Being a Dictionary, Jaime Tortella’s work offers its contents in alphabetical order as expected. Each entry is enhanced by an specialized bibliography fully linked to primary sources references which often enrich the text itself by incorporating the outcome of many a time yet unpublished or scarcely known research. Also a minute discography gives the reader the opportunity to approach the actual sound of Boccherini’s output. While compiling his Dictionary, Tortella decided to count on some of the most reputed international specialists about Boccherini, such as Yves Gerard, Remigio Coli, Elisabeth Le Guin or Marco Mangani, among others, who’s credits have been briefly exposed in the author’s preamble. All those specialists have contributed with their deep knowledge to target a wide audience who will for sure enjoy the book. While this kind of works abound for composers such as Bach or Mozart, there was no precedent in Spanish musicology and we have no doubt the present approach will stimulate and guide futures similar works other Spanish composers deserve. We finally want to stress our recognition to the Asociación Luigi Boccherini for the permanent support it has provided towards this Dictionary. Begoña Lolo Autumn 2008 Preamble Finding data, references and details on such a wide topic as the life and works of a musician often requires time consuming hard work lacking the guarantee of a satisfactory outcome. A dictionary such as this one can become an efficient and trustworthy tool for locating the required information and references. Biographical research needs to contrast and compare new findings with previous data, published or not, either to confirm them or to modify, amend or even discard them. But locating Persons, Places and Terms in scattered books or articles frequently calls for a huge amount of time and dedication never being absolutely certain of reaching all the available data. The present work, headed by a brief account of the life and works of Luigi Boccherini, aims at making the search for information more efficient for readers who wish to learn about or investigate this interpreter and composer. Towards this goal, this Dictionary presents useful data about Persons, Places and Terms linked to the musician, being aware that completeness is pure utopia since new studies, discoveries, analysis and researches are constantly being carried out and released. This is why we consider this Dictionary an open work, but always a handy tool meant to help musicologists, researchers, teachers, students, music lovers and any one interested in Boccherini, his works, his time and his environment. Obviously, Persons, Places and Terms are ranked in alphabetical order, offering basic information ample enough to allow locating them in their Boccherinian context. Some entries direct the reader to another equivalent or similar entry. For example, LETTERS, CORRESPONDENCE and EPISTOLARY are three interrelated entries where the reader will find the information only in the first one, the other two pointing to it. When an entry has not been written by the author of this Dictionary it will be so stated at the beginning of the text, between brackets. In case of only a revision, the phrase "Revised by" will be included. Data or information obtained basically or primarily from a single source will be so indicated, regardless of the appropriate bibliographical references at the end of each entry. Entry structure will generally include three sections: a) General Information about the Person, Place or Term, always linked to Boccherini, avoiding excessively generic entries which can be found elsewhere, i.e. music encyclopedias or monograph works, b) Specific bibliographic and document References for the entry, listing first the primary sources, including Custody Venues (archives, libraries, collections, etc., a list of which can be seen at the end of this Preamble), and then publications, by

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