Ferdinando Paer | |
|---|---|
 Lithograph by François Delpech | |
| Born | Ferdinando Paer (1771-06-01)1 June 1771 |
| Died | 3 May 1839(1839-05-03) (aged 67) Paris |
| Occupation | Composer |
| Organizations | |
| Works | List of operas |
Ferdinando Paer[1] (1 June 1771 – 3 May 1839) was an Italian composer known for hisoperas. He was of Austrian descent and used the German spelling Pär in application for printing in Venice,[2] and later in France the spelling Paër.[3][4]
He was born inParma into a family of Austrian descent. He came from a musical family. His grandfather Michael Pär was a regimental band member from Peterwardein (todayPetrovaradin, part ofNovi Sad).[5][6] His father Giulio Paer was a trumpeter with the Ducal Bodyguards and also performed at church and court events; his mother was Francesca Cutica.[7] He was named Ferdinando afterDuke Ferdinand of Parma byArchduchess Maria Amalia of Austria, Duke Ferdinand's wife. He studiedmusic theory under the violinistGasparo Ghiretti, a pupil of theConservatorio della Pietà de' Turchini in Naples.
His first stage work,Orphée et Euridice, premiered in 1791 and helped begin a fruitful career of composing for the young composer. His first Italian opera,Circe, was given during theCarnival of Venice in 1792; others rapidly followed, and his name was soon famous throughout Italy. At the age of 20, he became choirmaster in Venice.[1] In 1797, he went to Vienna, where his future wife, the singerFrancesca Riccardi [ca;de], had obtained an engagement. There he became music director of theKärntnertortheater until 1801, where he produced a series of operas, including hisCamilla (1799) and hisAchille (1801). He enjoyed the patronage of the music-loving Empress Marie Therese, composing several works for her private concerts.[8] In 1802 he was appointed composer to the court theatre at Dresden, theMorettisches Opernhaus, where his wife was also engaged as a singer, and in 1804 a lifetime appointment of CourtKapellmeister was bestowed upon him by ElectorFrederick August.[9]
His operaLeonora (1804) is based on the same story asBeethoven'sFidelio, first produced asLeonora the following year. Beethoven had a high opinion of Paer, once jesting that the funeral march inAchille was so fine he "would have to compose it".[10]
In 1807Napoleon, while in Dresden, took a fancy to him and took him with him to Warsaw and Paris at a salary of 28,000 francs.[9] He composed a bridal march for Napoleon's wedding toMarie Louise, Duchess of Parma (a religious ceremony that took place on 2 April 1810).[10]
In 1809, he composed his most famous opera,Agnese, adramma semiserio per musica in two acts. Its success spread throughout Europe, and it was performed at the most important theatres (Milan, Naples, Rome, Vienna, London and Paris). It had a deep influence on the following generations of composers and aroused the admiration of many celebrated musicians and musical critics such asStendhal,Berlioz,Castil-Blaze andChopin. The primary reason for this success is most certainly the high quality of the music involved, but the dramaturgical structure also presents significant material such as themad scene involving Agnese's father Uberto (bass).
In 1812, he succeededGaspare Spontini as conductor of theOpéra-Italien in Paris. He retained this post after theRestoration while accepting those of chamber composer to the king and conductor of the private orchestra of theDuke of Orléans. In 1823, he retired from the Opéra-Italien and was succeeded byGioachino Rossini. It was around this time that he taught composition to the youngFranz Liszt. In 1831, he was elected to theAcadémie des Beaux-Arts, and in 1832 was appointed conductor of the royal orchestra ofKing Louis Philippe.[9]
In 1824, he was parodied byDaniel Auber in the role of Signor Astucio inLe concert à la cour.
During the 1820s, Paër's success both as a composer and teacher were being frustrated with the presence of Giacomo Rossini and influence of writerMarie-Henri Beyle. Rossini, having left his appointment at the Italian Theater of Paris[fr] in 1826, had left Paër in charge of the failing theatre. In 1827, he was fired from his position but later issued an open letter, "M. Paër, ex-directeur du Théâtre de l'Opéra Italien, à MM. les Dilettanti," detailing his self-defense.
In 1831, Paër was quickly employed in theAcadémie des Beaux-Arts and became a strong contributor to the opera culture at theOpéra-Comique alongside colleagues likeDaniel Auber andFelice Blangini.[11]
For the remainder of his life, he would many different appointments in institutions of musical education. However, in 1834 Paer would premiere one of the last operas which would bestow upon him great public success. Namely, his comic opera,Un caprice de femme, premiered at theOpéra-Comique in 1834.[12]
On May 3, 1839 Paër died in his Paris apartment at the age of 67, and had his funeral conducted at theChurch of Saint-Roch three days later.[11]
Paer wrote a total of 55 operas, in the Italian Classical styles ofPaisiello andCimarosa. His other works, including several religious compositions,cantatas, many songs and a short list of orchestral chamber pieces.[9]
..bezeichnet, einen Titel, den er nach folgendem Antrag im Juli 1792 auch offiziell führen durfte:Si degnò V.A.R. di accordar al Mro Ferdinando Pär Umilimo servo, Suddito, ..., nello scorso carnevale, di poter far imprimere nell'opera ...
Paer also tried to undermineSpontini's success in Paris.Auber parodied him as Signor Astucio in his operaLe concert à la cour. The name Paer does not require the diaeresis in Italian, but he himself adopted it when he settled in France.
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Paër, Ferdinando".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 20 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 447–448.
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