A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Bertoni, Ferdinando

BERTONI, Ferdinando Giuseppe, born at Salo near Venice 1727 [App. p.545 "Aug. 15, 1725"], died at Desenzano near Brescia 1810 [App. p.545 "Dec. 1, 1813"], pupil of Padre Martini, and a celebrated composer in his time. In 1750 [App. p.545 "1752"] was appointed organist of St. Mark's, Venice, and seven [App. p.545 "five"] years later choir-master at the Conservatorio 'dei Mendicanti,' which post he held till the suppression of the Conservatoires on the fall of the Republic in 1797. His first opera, 'Orazio e Curazio,' appeared in Venice (1746), but it was not till the production of 'Orfeo' (1776) that he attracted attention. He composed it to the libretto which Gluck had set, and the same singer, Guadagni, took the part of Orfeo in both operas. In 1778 Bertoni was summoned to London with his friend Pacchierotti, and brought out his 'Quinto Fabio,' which had been successfully produced at Padua in the same year, and was equally well received here, owing in great part to Pacchierotti's performance of the part of Fabio. Bertoni visited London again with Pacchierotti, but the rage for Sacchini made it difficult for any one else to gain a hearing, and he returned finally to Venice in 1784. In the following year, on the death of Galuppi, he succeeded him as conductor at St. Mark's, the most honourable and lucrative post then open to a musician in Italy. Burney (Hist, iv. 514, 541) describes him as a man of ability and taste, but no genius. His works (of which Fétis gives a list) comprise 33 operas and oratorios, besides instrumental compositions. Little of his music has been published.

[ M. C. C. ]