A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Carpani, Giuseppe

CARPANI, Giuseppe, poet and writer on music, born Jan. 28, 1752, at Villalbese, in the district of Brianza. His father destined him for the law, he studied at Milan and Padua, and practised under the celebrated advocate Villata at Milan. But he soon gave up the law, entered the society of artists and literary men, and indulged his natural taste for art. He had already written more than one comedy and several opera-libretti for the Italian stage, among others 'Camilla,' composed by Paër. In consequence of some violent articles against the French Revolution in the 'Gazetta di Milano,' of which he was editor from 1792–96, he had to leave Milan when it was taken by the French. Until the peace of Campo Formio in 1797 he lived at Vienna; after that date he became censor and director of the stage in Venice, but a malady of the eyes drove him back to Vienna, where the Emperor pensioned him till his death. He published a number of translations of French and German operas, and also wrote an oratorio on 'La passione di Gesù Christo,' which was set to music by Weigl, and performed in 1808, in the palace of Prince Lobkowitz, and in 1821 by the Gesellschaft der Musik-Freunde. He also translated the 'Creation' into Italian, and wrote a sonnet on the celebrated performance of that work, at which Haydn was present the year before bis death. Carpani had the greatest esteem and affection for Haydn, which led to his publishing his well-known 'Haydine,' etc. (Milan, 1812, and a second enlarged edition at Padua, 1823). 'La Haydine' is a kind of æsthetical work, and a eulogy on Haydn's compositions, written with enthusiasm. It quickly found a translator in Beyle, the French writer, who published it as his own composition under the name of Bombet—'Lettres écrites de Vienne, etc., by Louis Alexandre César Bombet' (Paris, 1814). Carpani attacked this piracy in two spirited letters—'Lettere due, dell' Autore delle Haydine' (Vienna, 1815). Beyle was, nevertheless, audacious enough again to publish his work, this time under the alias of Stendahl, 'Vies de Haydn, Mozart, et Métastase,' etc. (Paris, 1817). In spite of Carpani's protestations, the first of the two appeared in English as 'Lives of Haydn and Mozart' (Murray, 1817; and Boston, U.S., 1839). Extracts of Carpani's original work, translated by D. Mondo, appeared at Niort in 1836, and in a complete form at Paris 1837, under the title 'Haydn, sa vie, ses ouvrages, et ses aventures, etc., par Joseph Carpani; traduction de Mondo.' Some clever but partial sketches of Rossini were published by Carpani in one volume as 'Le Rossiniane,' (Padua, 1824). This also was pirated anonymously by Beyle (Paris), and published by Mondo. In 1809 Carpani accompanied the Archduke John on his expedition to Italy. After the return of peace, he devoted himself to starting the 'Biblioteca Italiana.' He died in the smaller Liechtenstein Palace at Vienna, a bachelor of 73, on Jan. 22, 1825, from simple decay of nature.

[ C. F. P. ]