Marchetti, Fillippo

1831-1901

Italian opera-singer and teacher; born in the Province of Macerata, Italy. When twelve years old he began the study of music under Bindi, going to Naples in 1850 to study at the Real Collegio di San Pietro a Manjello with Carlo, Conti and Giuseppe Lillo. In 1854 he returned home, and devoted himself to writing the opera, Gentile da Verano, which was very successfully performed at the Teatro Nazionale at Turin in 1856. This was so well received that the manager of the theatre immediately secured the rights to produce La Demente, an opera, upon which he was then at work. This opera was performed at the Teatro Cangnano at Turin in 1856 and the following year at Rome and Jesi. Although both these operas had been successful, Marchetti could get no one to stage 11 Paria, his next opera, and for a while wrote only ballads and chamber-music. In 1862 he moved to Milan, where he met the poet, Marcelliano Marcello, who prevailed upon him to write music for a libretto he had prepared from Romeo and Juliet. When this opera was performed at Trieste in 1865 it received but little attention, but on its appearance at Milan two years later it was well received, although Gounod's Romeo and Juliet was running at La Scala at that time. His best work, Ruy Bias, came out at La Scala in 1869 and brought him wide recognition, being performed successfully at Her Majesty's Theatre under the management of Mapleson. Gustavo Wasa, which appeared in 1875, and Don Giovanni d'Austria, performed in 1880, were neither very successful, and after these Marchetti gave all his attention to teaching. In 1881 he became president of the Reale Accademia di Santa Cecilia of Rome, and in 1885 he was made director of the Liceo Musicale, a position which he occupied until his death.