Lamperti, Francesco

1813-1892

Born at Savona. His father was a lawyer and hi  mother a prima donna of some fame. While quite young he studied music under Pietra Rizzi of Lodi, and in 1820 entered the Conservatory at Milan, where he studied piano and harmony under Sommaruga d'Appiano and Pietro Ray. Becoming associated with Masini in the direction of the Teatro Filodrammatico at Lodi he selected many singers from the natives of the surrounding country. He thus educated and brought out many singers who otherwise would never have been known outside of their native village. La Tiberini was one of these. Such was their success that pupils flocked from all parts of Italy and other parts of Europe to receive instruction. Among their pupils were the distinguished singers, Jeanne Sophie Lowe, Cruvelli, Grua, Brambilla, Hayes, Artot, La Grange, and many others. Appointed by the Austrian government, he was professor of singing in the Milan Conservatory for twenty-five years, from 1850 to 1875, when he retired upon a pension and devoted his time to private instruction. Among his conservatory pupils were Paganini, Galli, Risarelli, Peralta, and as private pupils, Albani, Sembrich, Stoltz, Campanini, Everardi, and others equally distinguished. Lamperti followed the method of the old Italian School of Singing and based his instruction upon respiration, the taking to retention of the breath by means of the abdominal muscles alone. He thoroughly grounded his pupils in the  production of pure tone. He wrote several series of vocal studies and a treatise on the art of singing, which one of his pupils has translated into English. He was Commendatore and Cavaliere of the Order of the Crown of Italy and was a member of many academies and foreign orders. He died at Como.