Complete Encyclopaedia of Music/A/Anfossi, Pasquale

Anfossi, Pasquale, born about the year 1736. He first applied himself to the practice of the violin, in the conservatories of Naples ; but feeling that his imagination was too much re-strained by this study, he preferred that of composition, under the auspices of Sacchini and Piccini ; the latter of whom, perceiving in him marks of vigor, tact, and most of those qualities which fit a musician for his art, conceived an affection for him, and soon communicated to him some part of the fine talent which he himself possessed. Piccini procured him his first engagement, in 1771, for the theatre Delle Dame in Rome. The first attempt of Anfossi was unfortunate ; but Piccini made a like engagement for the following year, and notwithstanding a second failure, he concluded a third for the next, and exhorted Anfossi, who had prepared to leave Rome in disgust, to apply with greater ardor, in-stead of being discouraged by the first obstacles he might encounter in his arduous career. His counsel was prophetic, and so favorable to his pupil, that they soon turned to the disadvantage of the master who gave them. Anfossi hesitated not to follow them. He composed his opera of "Il Sconosciuto perseguito," which, when per-formed in 1773, experienced so brilliant and so continued a success, that Piccini beheld his re-pose compromised, less by the merit of the work, which could in no case have surpassed his own, than by a spirit of envy and intrigue, which made use of it to inflict disgrace more unjust than painful to him, but which obliged the master to give way to the disciple. Anfossi, freed from the presence of his master, and proud of the unexpected favor of the Romans, (he only was talked of at Rome ; his music only was listened to,) redoubled that ardor with which Piccini himself had inspired him. He became more laborious, more active than ever he had been ; he composed with the greatest care and the most scrupulous attention ; and having completed the opera of "La Finta Giardiniera," it was performed in 1774, and he beheld, with less joy than surprise, that the public continued its favor. It was followed by "Il Geloso in Cimento," in 1775, which met with the same good fortune. This composer had, however, not yet essayed his talents in the most difficult style. He had not yet written a serious opera ; which, if it demands less vivacity than the comic, requires more real genius, and a knowledge of the noblest, most in-tense, and most expressive emotions of the human heart. He wrote the opera of "L'Olympiade;" it was performed in 1776, and he had the grief to behold the fall (as great as it was unseen) of his work. He now experienced, in his turn, the pain his master had undergone ; he felt that disgrace, inflicted by a public who had lavished favors upon him, was the most painful to endure ; and like Piccini, being unable to support the blow this event inflicted on his sensibility, he quitted Rome. Anfossi traversed Italy, and stopped at Venice. The Venetians enjoyed the new works composed for them, and this enabled him to forget his disgrace. He was named director of one of the conservatories of that city. With this honorable title he repaired to Paris in 1780, where he gave "Caius Marius" at the Academy of Music. The success of this work, although not brilliant, was satisfactory to the author. He then gave "Il Sconosciuto perseguito," adapted to French words ; but whether the Italian style was not yet perfectly understood at Paris, or whether the translation of the words was prejudicial to its effect, it certainly did not succeed according to its merit. It was uncertain whether this was the cause of Anfossi's leaving France, but he quitted Paris in 1782, and re-paired to London, where he remained till 1785 ; but he arrived at an unfavorable time, for Sacchini had preceded him, and the affairs of the opera were in so embarrassed a state, that his reputation was diminished rather than increased by his visit to England. He returned to Rome in 1787, where he composed several works, and had the happiness to meet with universal applause. He died in that city about 1795, in the enjoyment of considerable reputation. The compositions of Anfossi do not bear the stamp of genius like those of his two predecessors, Piccini and Sacchini, on whose style his own was formed. He understood the art of developing and refining musical expression, and many of his finales be-came models of this department of art. His clearness of style may be compared to the same quality in literature, and his fecundity proves that he wrote with facility. His opera of "L'Avaro" is considered as his chef-d'oeuvre ; and among his oratorios, "Betulia Liberata" is most distinguished.