Search results for "Leonardo Leo"
showing 3 items of 3 documents
Partenope in festa. Musiche e spettacoli per le nozze di Carlo di Borbone e Maria Amalia di Sassonia (Napoli, 1738)
2022
The celebrations held in Naples for the wedding of King Charles of Bourbon to Maria Amalia of Saxony (1738) offer an interesting example of political propaganda implemented by means of a wise use of feasts. The court, the ecclesiastical institutions and the city authorities compete to honor the important dynastic event and spread a climate of exultation and consensus. The numerous initiatives aim to strengthen the union between the Bourbons and the Wettins and their respective cultures through a dense network of symbols and allegories. In this complex and stratified context, musical events – hosted in the most diverse venues and arranged along a well-thought-out calendar – play a fundamenta…
Suoni intorno al principe di Sansevero. Musiche per Raimondo di Sangro e Carlotta Gaetani
2019
Raimondo di Sangro, Prince of Sansevero (1710-1771), is known for his eccentric ideas as well as for the Masonic symbolism he adopted in rebuilding his family chapel, in downtown Naples. This essay traces his musical interests, so far under-researched. The sonoric elements in some of his inventions are highlighted. Data are collected on the carrillon he commissioned, built after North European models. Theatrical texts related to his patronage are analyzed, including the curious dialect libretto “Li sconquasse de lo Pennino” (1757). Attention is given to his wife, Carlotta Gaetani, the dedicatee of a little-known musical printing, the “Scelta di arie” from “L’eroe cinese” set to music by Bal…
Madrid 1744: Calzabigi, Leo e i festeggiamenti per le nozze dell’Infanta di Spagna con il Delfino di Francia
2019
Sumptuous ceremonies were organized in Madrid in December 1744 to celebrate the marriage of the Infanta of Spain Maria Teresa, daughter of Philippe v and Isabella Farnese, with the Dauphin of France Louis, son of Louis xv and Maria Leszczyńska. Their union was of great political importance, as it reinforced the alliance between the two Bourbon kingdoms during the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748). Refined musical works were specially composed to solemnize the event: Corselli’s "Achille in Sciro" and Astorga’s "Le deità superate" were offered by the court at the Buen Retiro palace; moreover, two different allegorical serenatas, one by Mele and the other by Leo, were commissioned by …