Coccia, Carlo

Coccia, Carlo, Italian composer; b. Naples, April 14, 1782; d. Novara, April 13, 1873. He was nine when he began musical training with Pietro Casella. He then studied singing with Saverio Valente and counterpoint with Fedele Fenaroli at the Conservatorio S. Maria di Loreto in Naples, and with Paisiello. He served as maestro accompagnatore al pianoforte in the private musical establishment of Joseph Bonaparte, King of Naples (1806–08). He also began his career as a composer, becoming best known for his operas semiseria and scoring his greatest success with Clotilde (Venice, June 8, 1815). In 1820 he went to Lisbon as maestro concertatore at the Teatro San Carlos, and in 1824 went to London as conductor at the King’s Theatre; he also taught at the Royal Academy of Music. He returned to Italy in 1827 and scored a fine success with his opera Caterina di Guise (Milan, Feb. 14, 1833). He was made inspector of music and director of singing at the Accademia Filarmonica in Turin in 1836, and then settled in Novara as maestro di cappella at S. Gaudenzio (1840). He wrote 38 operas, which, in addition to those listed above, included La verità nella bugia (Venice, 1809), Maria Stuart, regina di Scozia (London, June 7, 1827, excerpts only), Enrico di Monfort (Milan, Nov. 12, 1831), and Giovanna II regina di Napoli (Milan, March 12, 1840). He also wrote various other secular vocal works, including cantatas and songs, and much sacred music.

Bibliography

G. Carotti, Biografia di C. C.(Turin, 1873).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire