Ciampi, Vincenzo (Legrenzio)

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Ciampi, Vincenzo (Legrenzio)

Ciampi, Vincenzo (Legrenzio), Italian composer; b. probably in Piacenza, c. 1719; d. Venice, March 30, 1762. He was a pupil of Leo and Durante in Naples, where he brought out six comic operas between 1737 and 1745. His comic opera Bertoldo, Bertoldino e Cacasenno, first performed in Venice on Dec. 26, 1748, proved notably successful and subsequently was influential in the development of the opéra-comique genre. After teaching at the Ospedale degli Incurabili there in 1748–49, he went to London as music director of the first Italian opera company, for which he composed II trionfo di Camilla (March 31, 1750) and Bidone (Jan. 5, 1754). About 1756 he returned to Venice, where he composed several more operas before his early demise. Among his other works were various instrumental scores, including concertos and sonatas, oratorios, motets, and other sacred music.

Bibliography

C. Anguissola, V.L. C: Musicista piacentino del Settecento (Piacenza, 1934; 2nd ed., 1936).

—Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

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