Papal States
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Giovanni Battista Pergolesi
Jesi, Papal States
Archival Overview
Italian early Classical composer who revolutionized comic opera with 'La serva padrona' and composed the immortal 'Stabat Mater' before dying of tuberculosis at age twenty-six.
Biographical Record
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi studied at the prestigious Conservatorio dei Poveri di Gesù Cristo in Naples, rapidly establishing himself as a brilliant rising star of the Neapolitan school. In 1733, as an intermezzo between the acts of his serious opera Il prigionier superbo, he presented 'La serva padrona' (The Maid Turned Mistress).
This witty two-character comedy sparkled with lively patter songs, sparking the famous 'Querelle des Bouffons' in Paris and establishing opera buffa across Europe. Diagnosed with fatal tuberculosis, Pergolesi retreated to a Franciscan monastery in Pozzuoli, completing his heartbreakingly poignant 'Stabat Mater' on his deathbed at twenty-six.
Key Life Milestones
La serva padrona
Premiered the sparkling intermezzo that launched European comic opera (opera buffa).
Stabat Mater
Composed his transcendent sacred masterpiece on his deathbed in Pozzuoli, becoming the most printed piece of 18th-century music.
Memorial Guestbook & Tributes
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Final Resting Place
Perpetual MemorialPozzuoli, Kingdom of Naples