Scudo, Paolo

1806-1864

Italian writer and composer; born at Venice, but educated in Germany, and author of many critical works. Scudo entered Choron's school and studied singing there. He then took a small part in Rossini's II Viaggio a Rheims; left the stage and returned to Choron's school to take up music seriously. After the revolution of 1830 he played the second clarinet in a military band, then returned to Paris as a teacher of singing, took up writing, and finally devoted himself to musical criticism. As musical critic of the Revue des deux Mondes he became a man of note in Paris. Scudo is the author of L'Amie Musicale; La Musique Ancienne et Moderne; and Critique et Litterature Musicale, all of which are mostly re-publications of articles contributed to periodical literature. He also composed songs, and other vocal music; and wrote a musical novel, Le Chevalier Sarti, and its sequel, Frederique, which first appeared in the Revue des deux Mondes. Scudo died insane in an asylum at Blois.