Piccinni, Luigi

1766-1827

Son of Nicola Piccinni; sometimes called Ludovico. He was born at Naples, and received his musical education from his father, whom he followed to Paris in 1783. His first work was a number of sonatas with a toccata for piano; but in 1784 he started his unsuccessful career as an operatic composer with the comic opera, Les amours de Cherubin, and two or three others, at Paris. In 1791 he returned to Naples, and there his Gli Accidenti inaspetati was given in 1792. Other operas and a dramatic cantata, Ero e Leandro, were given at Venice, Genoa and Florence. In 1796 he became chapelmaster to the court at Stockholm, and there produced II sonnambulo, but in 1801 he returned to Paris. He still brought out operas, and though Hippomene et Atalante, given at the Opera in 1810, was a flat failure, he produced La Raucune, his last, in 1819, but it was only played once. He died on his way from Paris to his home at Passy.