Giordani, Tommaso

Tommaso Giordani was born in Naples between 1730 and 1733 (according to another version in 1744) with impresario, singer, librettist Giuseppe Giordani and singer Anthony Giordani. He was the brother of dancer Francesco Giordani and singers Marianne and Nicolina Giordani.

In 1745, members of this family, together with other artists, organized a small opera troupe, led by the father of the future composer. In the same year they left Naples and went on tour to Ancona and Pesaro. In the years 1747-1748, the troupe performed in Senigallia and Graz. In 1750 - in Frankfurt and Salzburg. In 1752-1753 in Amsterdam and Paris. At the end of 1753, they arrived in London at the invitation of John Rich to perform in Covent Garden during the 1753-1754 season. The troupe stayed in London until 1756. In the same year, Tommaso Giordani made his debut on the stage of the Covent Garden Theater as an opera composer with the opera buff "The Comedian Who Became a Singer" ( Italian: La comediante fatta cantatrice ) according to his own libretto . Until that time, he was a harpsichord player in the troupe. It is not known how the composer lived and what he did from 1756 to 1764.

At the beginning of 1764, along with his family, at the invitation of the Smoke Theater, Alley arrived in Dublin. Over the next three years, he composed five opera buffs, two of which - “Jealous lovers” ( Italian: Gl'amanti gelosi ) and “ The Beggar’s Opera ” ( English The Beggar's Opera ) failed, but three - “Don Fulminone” ( Don Fulminone , The Enchanter, and The Maid of the Mill were successful with the public. The last three operas were presented between January and March 1765.

Tommaso Giordano remained at the Smoke Alley Theater for the next season, while his family members made an agreement with the Royal Theater on Crow Street. For the Smoke Elley Theater, the composer wrote the buffalo opera Disguised Love ( English Love in Disguise ) and the Chinese Hero opera series ( Italian L'eroe cinese ) based on the libretto by Pietro Metastasio , which became the first opera series to be staged in Ireland. In March 1767, Tommaso Jodani debuted as a church composer with the Isaac oratorio in the concert hall on Fisemble Street. In the same season, he also moved to the Royal Theater on Crow Street, where in 1767 the premiere of his opera Phyllis at Court took place . However, soon the composer was accused of plagiarism, because of which he was forced to leave Dublin, and returned to London.

From 1770 to 1783, Tommaso Giordani collaborated with the Royal Theater in London. During this time, he wrote three operas and another in collaboration, adapted and staged numerous operas by other composers. In the same period, he made his debut as a chamber composer with six quintets for harpsichord and strings, followed by numerous compositions of chamber music.

In the summer of 1783 he returned to Dublin, where, along with contralto singer Michael Leoni , he gave a series of concerts in the Rotunda. With the same singer, he rented a theater in Capel Street, renaming it the House of English Opera, where during the season 1783-1784 seven of his operas in English and twelve operas of other composers, which he adapted for the local public, were staged. Despite the successful season, the partners were unable to cover the costs and in July 1784 declared bankruptcy.

The following year, Tommaso Giordani, at the invitation of Richard Daly, resumed cooperation with the Smoke Alley Theater, which lasted until 1787, when the theater was closed. The composer was again admitted to the Royal Theater on Crow Street, in which in 1788 he received the position of music director. In 1784, he married the daughter of theater director Tate Wilkinson .

From 1784 to 1798 he was the bandmaster and organist of the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Dublin, where on April 30, 1789 he wrote and performed the hymn “We praise you God” ( Latin Te Deum ) for the recovery of King George III. He also gave private music lessons. One of the composer's pupils was the young viratosis John Field . His last opera, The Holiday Cottage, was staged on November 28, 1796 at the Royal Theater in Dublin, after which he stopped composing for the theater.

Tommaso Giordani died in Dublin in the winter of 1806.

The composer's creative heritage includes 1 opera (1 co-authored) and numerous works for vocals and chamber music.

• Rossella Pelagalli. Giordani, Tommaso (Neopr.) . Treccani.it. - Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani - Volume 55 (2001). (ital.)