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Scan 494
Dictionary of music and musicians, 1908
13 lines. Read by computer on 10 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 444. See the scan on archive.org.
1please after Farinelli, 'To-night,' he replied, 'she shall hear two Farinellis!' What would have been thought of this answer by the lady who once exclaimed in delirious excitement 'One God, and one Farinelli!' At Naples he excited the wildest enthusiasm. While he was singing there he was told of the arrival of Gizziello, whom, as a possible rival, he was most anxious to hear and estimate for himself. He posted all the way to Rome, arrived in time for the opera, and took a back seat in the pit. After listening attentively to Gizziello's aria di entrata he could not master his emotion; but, rising from his seat, exclaimed 'Bravo, bravissimo, Gizziello! È Caffarelli chi te lo dice!' and fled precipitately from the theatre. Throwing himself into his carriage, he posted rapidly back to Naples, and found he had barely time to dress and appear at the opera, where his absence had already been remarked. In 1740 he returned to Venice, where he received a higher salary than any singer had received before,—800 sequins (=£385), and a benefit of 700 sequins (=£335), for a season of three months. He reappeared at Turin in 1746, and then at Florence and Milan. On the invitation of the Dauphine he went to Paris in 1750, and sang at several concerts, where he pleased as much as he astonished the critics. Louis XV. sent him a present of a snuff-box; but Caffarelli, observing that it was plain, showed the messenger who brought it, one of the gentlemen of the court, a drawer full of splendid boxes, and remarked that the worst of them was finer than the gift of the King of France. 'If,' said he, 'he had sent me his portrait in it!' 'That,' replied the gentleman, 'is only given to ambassadors.' 'Well,' was the reply, 'and all the ambassadors of the world would not make one Caffarelli!' This, when repeated, made the King laugh heartily; but the Dauphine sent for the singer, and, giving him a passport, said—'It is signed by the King himself,—for you a great honour; but lose no time in using it, for it is only good for ten days.' Caffarelli left France in dudgeon, saying he had not gained his expenses there. Stories about him are innumerable: Metastasio, in one of his letters, tells an amusing one, according to which the intervention of Tesi, the celebrated singer, alone saved him from a duel at Vienna, provoked by his arrogance and folly. At the age of sixty-five he was still singing; but he had made an enormous fortune, had purchased a dukedom, and built at Santo Dorato a palace, over the gate of which he inscribed, with his usual modesty, 'Amphion Thebas, ego domum.' A commentator added 'Ille cum, sine tu!' It will be inferred from the above that he was the rival of Farinelli, to whom by some he was preferred as a singer. He excelled in slow and pathetic airs, as well as in the bravura style; and was unapproached both in beauty of voice and in the perfection of his shake and chromatic scales. He is said to have been the first to introduce the latter embellishment in quick movements. He died Nov. 30, 1783, leaving his wealth and his dukedom to a nephew. J. M. one of two readings
2please after Farinelli, 'To-night,' he replied, 'she shall hear two Farinellis!' What would have been thought of this answer by the lady who once exclaimed in delirious excitement 'One God, and one Farinelli!' At Naples he excited the wildest enthusiasm. While he was singing there he was told of the arrival of Gizziello, whom, as a possible rival, he was most anxious to hear and estimate for himself. He posted all the way to Rome, arrived in time for the opera, and took a back seat in the pit. After listening attentively to Gizziello's aria di entrata he could not master his emotion; but, rising from his seat, exclaimed 'Bravo, bravissimo, Gizziello! È Caffarelli chi te lo dice!' and fled precipitately from the theatre. Throwing himself into his carriage, he posted rapidly back to Naples, and found he had barely time to dress and appear at the opera, where his absence had already been remarked. In 1740 he returned to Venice, where he received a higher salary than any singer had received before,—800 sequins (≈£385), and a benefit of 700 sequins (≈£335), for a season of three months. He reappeared at Turin in 1746, and then at Florence and Milan. On the invitation of the Dauphine he went to Paris in 1750, and sang at several concerts, where he pleased as much as he astonished the critics. Louis XV. sent him a present of a snuff-box; but Caffarelli, observing that it was plain, showed the messenger who brought it, one of the gentlemen of the court, a drawer full of splendid boxes, and remarked that the worst of them was finer than the gift of the King of France. 'If,' said he, 'he had sent me his portrait in it!' 'That,' replied the gentleman, 'is only given to ambassadors.' 'Well,' was the reply, 'and all the ambassadors of the world would not make one Caffarelli!' This, when repeated, made the King laugh heartily; but the Dauphine sent for the singer, and, giving him a passport, said—'It is signed by the King himself,—for you a great honour; but lose no time in using it, for it is only good for ten days.' Caffarelli left France in dudgeon, saying he had not gained his expenses there. Stories about him are innumerable: Metastasio, in one of his letters, tells an amusing one, according to which the intervention of Tesi, the celebrated singer, alone saved him from a duel at Vienna, provoked by his arrogance and folly. At the age of sixty-five he was still singing; but he had made an enormous fortune, had purchased a dukedom, and built at Santo Dorato a palace, over the gate of which he inscribed, with his usual modesty, 'Amphion Thebas, ego domum.' A commentator added 'Ille cum, sine tu!' It will be inferred from the above that he was the rival of Farinelli, to whom by some he was preferred as a singer. He excelled in slow and pathetic airs, as well as in the bravura style; and was unapproached both in beauty of voice and in the perfection of his shake and chromatic scales. He is said to have been the first to introduce the latter embellishment in quick movements. He died Nov. 30, 1783, leaving his wealth and his dukedom to a nephew. J. M. one of two readings
4CAGNONI, ANTONIO, born Feb. 8, 1828, at Godiasco, in the district of Voghera, entered the Milan Conservatorio in 1842, remaining there until 1847. Two operas of small calibre were performed in the theatre connected with the establishment, but his first essay before the public was with 'Don Bucefalo,' given at the Teatro Rè in Milan in 1847. This opera buffa, although it has kept the stage in Italy, has never attained success outside its own country; it was given at the Italiens in Paris, but very coldly received. His successive operas have not been received with uniform favour, though several, especially among his later works, have been attended by good fortune. Between 1856 and 1863 he held the post of maestro di cappella at Vigevano, and while there devoted himself entirely to religious music. The following is a complete list of his operas:—
6Rosalia di San Miniato (1845); I due Savojardi (1846); Don Bucefalo (1847); Il Testamento di Figaro (1848); Amori e Trappole (1850); La Valle d'Andorra (1854); Giralda (1852); La Fioraja (1855); La Figlia di don Laborio (1856); Il Vecchio della Montagna (1863); Michele Perrin (1864); Claudia (1866); La Tombola (1869); Un Capriccio di Donna (1870); Papà Martin (1871), produced by Carl Rosa at the Lyceum in 1875 as The Porter of Havre; Il Duca di Tapigliano (1874); Francesca da Rimini (1878).
8In that year he retired to Novara, where he became maestro di cappella in the cathedral, and director of the Istituto musicale. Subsequently he produced nothing but sacred music. Two motets, 'Inveni David' and 'Ave Maria,' were published in 1886. In February of that year Cagnoni was made a commander of the order of the Corona. He was from 1886 maestro di cappella at Santa Maria Maggiore in Bergamo, where he died April 30, 1896.
10CAHEN, ALBERT, French composer, born Jan. 8, 1846, was a pupil of Mme. Szarvady for piano, and of César Franck for composition. He wrote several works of considerable importance; his 'Jean le Précurseur,' a biblical drama, was performed at the Concert National, Jan. 25, 1874; and 'Endymion,' a 'poème mythologique,' at the Concerts Danbé, Jan. 1875. His début on the stage was made with 'Le Bois,' a one-act piece (Opéra-Comique, 1880); in 1886, 'La Belle au Bois dormant,' a 'féerie,' came out at the Geneva Theatre; 'Le Vénitien,' a four-act opera was given at Rouen in 1890; 'Fleur de Neiges,' a ballet, at Brussels 1891; and 'La Femme de Claude' at the Opéra-Comique, June 24, 1896. He also wrote a set of songs called 'Marines,' etc. He died at Cap d'Ail in March 1903, after a very painful illness.
12CAHUSAC, THOMAS. The founder of an important London firm of music publishers and instrument-makers. Thomas Cahusac senior was 'at the sign of the Two Flutes and Violin opposite St. Clement's Church in the Strand' as early as 1755, and from that date to 1798
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