GUGLIELMI, PIETRO ALESSANDRO. - Composer and teacher, b. at Massa on 10 Dec. 1728, d. at Rome on 20 Nov. 1804. After his first musical studies with his father, he perfected his training at the Conservatory of S. Maria di Loreto in Naples.

In 1757 he made his debut with a stage work, which was followed by many others that won him wide fame and were performed in various Italian cities with great success. Having gone abroad, he was maestro di cappella at the court of Dresden, then at Brunswick and in 1772 in London. In 1777 he returned to Naples, but there he encountered strong opposition from Cimarosa and Paisiello. In 1793 Pius VII called him to Rome as maestro di cappella at St. Peter's, a post he held until his death. Besides stage works, he wrote many oratorios, psalms, motets, masses and various symphonic music. G.'s compositions are characterized by a simple, natural and amiable melodic line and by pure harmony, especially in the ensemble concertos.

Bibliography3 works

BIBL.: F. Florimo, La scuola musicale di Napoli ed i suoi conservatori, II, Naples 1883, p. 205-206; G. Bustico, P. G., Milan 1899; G. Piovano, Elenco cronologico delle opere di G. P., in Rivista musicale italiana, 12 (1905), p. 343-344.

Silverio Mattei

@incollection{ec6_guglielmi_pietro_alessandro, author = {Mattei, Silverio}, title = {Guglielmi, pietro alessandro}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {VI}, pages = {1251}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1951}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/guglielmi-pietro-alessandro} }

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Guglielmi, Pietro Alessandro

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