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Gaspare Spontini Gaspare Spontini Nato a Maiolati il 14 novembre del 1774, secondo di cinque figli, da ragazzo venne mandato a Jesi presso lo zio paterno don Giuseppe Spontini, parroco di Santa Maria del Piano, perché potesse frequentare le lezioni nel seminario jesino come alunno esterno. E fu appunto a Jesi, presso lo zio prete, che cominciò a manifestare la sua disposizione per la musica. Qualche tempo dopo però, forse perché sorpreso a corteggiare una ragazza e rimproverato dallo zio, lasciò la canonica e raggiunse a piedi Monte San Vito, dove fu ospite dello zio materno don Pietro Guadagnini. Don Pietro gli fece studiare i primi elementi della musica. Riappacificatosi con lo zio don Giuseppe, Gaspare tornò a Jesi e poté proseguire nello studio Louis Hersent: Gaspare della musica. Il 1° gennaio del 1793 veniva accolto nel Spontini - 1821 (Pinacoteca Conservatorio della Pietà de’ Turchini, a Napoli, dove cominciò Comunale) a comporre cantate, oratori e pezzi teatrali. Alunno non propriamente modello, il 28 ottobre del 1795 scappò dal Conservatorio e si trasferì a Roma, lanciandosi nella carriera operistica. Durante il carnevale dell’anno seguente, al teatro Pallacorda presentò per la prima volta un suo lavoro, Li puntigli delle donne, accolto con successo. Il ventenne compositore fu acclamato ripetutamente e accompagnato a casa in trionfo. A questo primo successo seguirono altre opere, rappresentate e accolte con favore in varie città, da Venezia a Palermo. Nel 1803 era in Francia, dove l’11 febbraio dell’anno dopo riusciva a far rappresentare al Théâtre Italien La finta filosofa, ma tre mesi dopo, il 12 maggio, incappava nel primo insuccesso con la Petite maison andata in scena al teatro Feydeau. Probabilmente a causa del libretto, l’opera non piacque al punto che gli spettatori della platea assaltarono l’orchestra, facendo a pezzi gli strumenti e costringendo alla fuga musicanti e cantanti. Spontini si rifece il 27 novembre dello stesso anno ottenendo il suo primo grosso successo con l’opera Milton, dedicata all’imperatrice di Francia. Tre anni dopo, il 15 dicembre del 1807, andava in scena l’opera che sarebbe stata il suo capolavoro, La Vestale, alla quale seguì il Fernando Cortez, che pure ebbe un buon successo. Nel 1810 Spontini venne nominato direttore dell’Opéra-Italien. L’anno dopo sposò Marie Catherine Celeste Erard. Intanto gli avvenimenti politici precipitavano: cadeva Napoleone e saliva sul trono di Francia Luigi XVIII. Spontini si adattò alla nuova situazione, ma ormai considerava conclusa la sua esperienza francese. Il 1° settembre del 1819 firmava con l’imperatore Federico Guglielmo III un vantaggiosissimo contratto per il suo trasferimento in Germania come primo maestro di cappella e direttore generale di musica, e con l’impegno di comporre ogni tre anni due grandi opere o tre piccole. Il 14 maggio del 1821 Spontini presentò al pubblico tedesco l’Olimpia largamente rinnovata, e fu un colossale trionfo (ebbe quarantadue rappresentazioni). Nell’estate del 1822, venne in Italia., accolto a Jesi con ricevimenti e fiori e la nomina a patrizio della città. Da Berlino sul finire dell’anno successivo faceva spedire a Jesi un suo grande quadro che giunse il 12 febbraio all’amico Giacomo Fioretti insieme a 300 scudi da sorteggiarsi, come dote, tra le zitelle oneste e miserabili, metà di Jesi e metà di Maiolati. Il 30 settembre 1838, accompagnato dalla moglie Celeste, era di nuovo a Jesi. Questa volta donò alla nostra città 5.520 scudi romani per costituire il Monte di Pietà Spontini in luogo di quello saccheggiato e distrutto al tempo dell’occupazione francese. Gli jesini contraccambiarono sistemando un busto del musicista nel teatro della Concordia. Spontini ebbe a Jesi colloqui col vescovo Piretro Ostini sulle necessità di risollevare la musica sacra dallo stato di corruzione in cui era caduta. Un progetto per la riforma della musica sacra venne sottoposto dallo stesso Spontini al pontefice Gregorio XVI (il papa, in segno di riconoscimento, gli conferirà il titolo di cavaliere dell’ordine di San Gregorio Magno e il 21 gennaio del 1845 il titolo di Conte di Sant’Andrea, elevando a Contea i possedimenti che il musicista possedeva a Majolati). Tornato a Berlino, Spontini nel 1840 restò vit-tima di una congiura, dopo la morte di Federico Guglielmo III, suo protettore: una vivace polemica sulla stampa tedesca, avviata già anni prima, lo aveva portato ad intervenire con una lettera nella quale erano state ravvisate parole offensive nei Gaspare Spontini e la moglie Celeste Erald (Palazzo confronti del nuovo sovrano. La sera del 2 Mereghi-Honorati) aprile del 1841 una ignobile gazzarra lo costrinse ad abbandonare il podio mentre stava dirigendo il Don Giovanni. Il tribunale lo condannò a nove mesi di carcere e alle spese processuali. Graziato dal nuovo re, Federico Guglielmo IV, Spontini lasciò definitivamente la Germania. Amareggiato, tornò a Maiolati, dove il 4 febbraio del 1843, con atto Maria Callas ed Ebe notarile, donava tutti i suoi beni alla comunità locale, facendo erigere Stignani ne La Vestale un ospizio per i vecchi cronici ed invalidi e istituendo altre data alla Scala di Milano nel 1954. organizzazioni benefiche, tra cui un secondo monte di pietà (uno ne era stato istituito insieme a quello di Jesi) e una Scuola Pia, nota come Casa delle Fanciulle. Poi riprese a viaggiare per l’Europa finché, ormai avanti con gli anni, si ritirò definitivamente nella sua patria. Nel settembre del 1850 fu accolto a Jesi da una grande manifestazione. Calorose accoglienze le ebbe anche a Maiolati, dove morì il 24 gennaio del 1851. “Conoscere Jesi”, G. Luconi – P. Cocola .
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