Francesco Azopardi : a Maltese musician and theorist : new evidence about his career and didactic writings

Francesco Azopardi (1748-1809) lived in Malta during the second half of the eighteenth century. He was professionally trained in Naples for four years and remained in this city working as a composer, teacher and conductor until 1774. The Cathedral authorities subsequently employed Azopardi in Malta as an organist. His duties included composition, playing the organ and teaching singers. Azopardi's workload increased significantly following the retirement of his predecessor Benigno Zerafa. Azopardi was a prolific composer and he composed new music regularly for the liturgical services of the Cathedral Church. In addition, he taught many students including Nicolo lsouard and produced two important composition treatises for his students.peer-reviewe

Formation and Development of the Italian Vocal School from 16th to 19th Centuries

The article is devoted to the development and formation of the Italian vocal schools in the era of the New Age. The most important aspects of the development of the Italian vocal school are the domination of castrate singers in the 18th century and their gradual ousting in the era of the romantic opera formation. During the 20th century, the internationalization of Italian opera and vocal teaching methods take place. The study is based on a complex of historical methods. The materials are of interest to researchers of vocal technology and cultural history

Formation and Development of the Italian Vocal School from 16th to 19th Centuries

The article is devoted to the development and formation of the Italian vocal schools in the era of the New Age. The most important aspects of the development of the Italian vocal school are the domination of castrate singers in the 18th century and their gradual ousting in the era of the romantic opera formation. During the 20th century, the internationalization of Italian opera and vocal teaching methods take place. The study is based on a complex of historical methods. The materials are of interest to researchers of vocal technology and cultural history

The Partimento Tradition in the Shadow of Enlightenment Thought

This presentation investigates the relationship between partimento pedagogy and Rameau’s music theories as influenced by Enlightenment thought. Current research on partimento has revealed its importance in Neapolitan music schools of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Along with counterpoint, partimento was a core subject in the study of composition in the Neapolitan schools; however, as pedagogy and theory began to be influenced by Enlightenment ideals such as the scientific method or a preference for clear systemization, the partimento tradition began to wane. In this presentation, I examine Rameau’s music theory as an example of Enlightenment thought in music, juxtaposing the central ideals of Rameau’s music theory with the ideals of partimento pedagogy and suggesting that Enlightenment thought hastened the decline of partimento study. Both the method of partimento pedagogy and Rameau’s theory of the fundamental bass stemmed in part from the practice of thoroughbass, and both were viewed as effective ways to teach musicians composition and improvisation. However, Rameau’s theory sought to improve on existing pedagogies by condensing eclectic rules and extended study into a few fundamental principles—an example of Enlightenment thought applied to music theory. In the light of Rameau’s understandable, widely applicable theory of harmony based on Enlightenment assumptions, the long years of practice-based partimento study under a maestro gradually became obsolete. The research methodology of this presentation consists of historical research from primary and secondary sources

The Partimento Tradition in the Shadow of Enlightenment Thought

How did Enlightenment ideals influence seventeenth-century music theory and composition pedagogy? This article investigates the relationship between partimento pedagogy and Rameau’s music theories as influenced by Enlightenment thought. Current research on partimento has revealed its importance in Neapolitan music schools of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Along with counterpoint, partimento was a core subject in the study of composition in the Neapolitan schools; however, as pedagogy and theory began to be influenced by Enlightenment ideals such as the scientific method or a preference for clear systemization, the partimento tradition began to wane. Juxtaposing the Enlightenment ideals of Rameau’s music theory with the ideals of partimento pedagogy, the author suggests that Enlightenment thought hastened the decline of partimento study. Both the method of partimento pedagogy and Rameau’s theory of the fundamental bass stemmed in part from the practice of thoroughbass, and both were viewed as effective ways to teach musicians composition and improvisation. However, Rameau’s theory sought to improve on existing pedagogies by condensing eclectic rules and extended study into a few fundamental principles—an example of Enlightenment thought applied to music theory. In the light of Rameau’s understandable, widely applicable theory of harmony based on Enlightenment assumptions, the long years of practice-based partimento study under a maestro gradually became obsolete

Italian opera singers in Malta in the middle of the eighteenth century

In his pioneering work on the history of the Manoel Theatre, Paul Xuereb brings out the difficulties that any researcher who intends to study the early history of secular music in Malta, in particular opera, will have to face. “Unfortunately, little information is extant about the Italian players or their production, for apart from the absence of the theatre archives, reviews or notices of plays very rarely appeared in contemporary newspapers, unless they were productions for charity”. Research difficulties increase for the period under study since no newspaper existed. This essay should be considered as a work-in-progress paper aimed at shedding new light on some of the opera singers at the Manoel Theatre in the 1760s. In fact, the scope is to share, with the reader, the preliminary results of an extensive research that is being carried out in Malta and Italy on the presence of Italian singers in Malta.peer-reviewe

Luce e Ombre - Light and Shadows

This thesis focuses on the oppositional and complimentary forces of light and shadows in the culture of Naples, Italy. Demonstrating, through photographs and the analysis of these photographs, how the light of Naples, a ‘northern’ light, and its resultant shadows echo (metaphorically and in reality) the light and shadows of the society, culture and history of Naples, Italy