Francesco Azopardi (1748 - 1809): Maltese Classical Composer and Theorist

<em>Francesco Azopardi (1748 - 1809) Maltese Classical Composer and Theorist</em>by Dion Buhagiar.In the last few years, more interest and demand has been generated in performing the music of Francesco Azopardi, particularly by Maltese musicians, European choirs and orchestras. The strength of Azopardi's music lies in the fact that it was always written with a specific purpose or commemoration in mind - such as the famous Requiem Mass in F minor which was commissioned for the death of King Leopold II of Austria. The book demonstrates Azopardi as a prolific composer who was in touch with the mainstream ideas of the most important European musical centres such as Naples, Paris and Monaco di Baviera (Munich), among other places. Azopardi composed several larger works such as the Oratorio La Passione di Cristo, three Grande Messa (also known as Messa di Gloria) for two choirs, soloists and two orchestras, with arias and choruses reflecting the Neapolitan operatic style of Nicola Piccinni and Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, as well as a large number of psalms,<em>te deums</em>, solemn hymns and sequences. There have also been attempts at editing and publishing, performing and recording of his instrumental music, especially the sinfonias.Azopardi's musical dedication, however, was directed towards the composition of music for the cathedral, in concordance with his role as Maestro di Cappella, as well as teaching composition through his own treatises: Il Musico Prattico (I) and Il Musico Pratico (II). These two treatises are here presented for the first time in their proper historical perspective. <br><br><em>***</em><br><br>The AuthorProf Dion Buhagiar is an Associate Professor of Music and was Head of the Music Studies Programme at the Mediterranean Institute of the Univesity of Malta (retired 2015). He is also<em>Maestro de</em>Cappella and Organist Emeritus of St Johns Co-Cathedral, Valletta and St Pauls Cathedral, Mdina, Malta. He is the founder and conductor of the<em>Collegium Musicum</em>choir and orchestra in both cathedrals in large works including Francesco Azopardis<em>Messa di Gloria</em>for eight voices and eight soloists, Mozarts<em>Requiem</em>and Coronation Mass, Haydns<em>Paukenmesse</em>and Creation, Verdis<em>Requiem</em>and Rossinis<em>Stabat Matar</em>for exclusive German audiences. His compositional output includes four large-scale Oratorios and an Opera in Maltese (<em>Libretto</em>from Francis Ebejers<em>Il-Ħarsa ta Rużann</em>), as well as a vast amount of sacred works.