J O M E L L I. 



;' r printing by fubfcription the entirs dramatic works of 

 ' ):iielli in fcorc, which he compofcd during his refidence 

 ai the court of the duke of Wurtemburg, conlifting of fif- 

 teen ferioiis operas, five paftonil dramas, and three burlettas ; 

 but whether this undertaking was ever accompliftied, we 

 have not been able to learn. 



The ferious operas which Jomelli compofed for Stutt- 

 gardt, are the following : " L'OHnipiade, La Clemeny.a 

 di Tito, Nittoti, Pelope, Enca nel Lazio, Catone in 

 Utica, II Re Pailorc, Alejandro nell' Indie, Eiiio, 

 Didone, Demofoonte, Semiramide, Vologefo, Artaferfs, 

 and Fetonte." Paftoral dramas : " Imcneo in Atene, II 

 Pailore Ilhiflrc, and L'Ifola Difabitata." Comic operas : 

 " II Matrimonio per Concorfo, La Schiava Liberata, and 

 II Cacciatore Delufo." 



Very few entire operas of Jomelli were ever performed in 

 England: the firll was " Attilio Regolo," in 175;, with- 

 out any captivating finger. Serafini, firil man, with little 

 voice, tlioiigh a good actor ; and tlie Vifconti, lirll woman, 

 but now pafec, were little alile to render the mulic capti- 

 vating, or even to do it jullicc. Yet an extraordinary cir- 

 cumilance happened during tiie whole run of tliis opera, 

 which no other, perhaps, could ever boall. This drama 

 was terminated by a piece of recitative without a fuble- 

 quent air, in fpeaking which, Seralini was conilautly en- 

 cored. A circumllance the more extraordinary, as the 

 EnglilTi in. general, who are ignorant of the Italian lan- 

 guage, hate recitative, and would never go a fecond time 

 to an opera, if not attrafted by the airs and fine finging. 



In 175J. Jomelli's opera of " Androraaca" was per- 

 formed in Loudon ; in which the firil air, " Si foil' 

 iin cor trianno," has confiderabk 

 of the allegro is now old fafhioned, 



a model for that fpccies of dance throughout Europe, ever 

 fincc it was compofed. 



The operas of Jomelli will be always valiable to pro- 

 fcflbrs and curious collectors, for the excellence of the com- 

 pofition ; though it has been thought necedary, in com- 

 pliance with the general rage for novelty, to' lay them 

 afide and to have the fame dramas new fet for the (lage, in 

 order to difplay the talents, or hide the dtfefts, ot new 

 fingers. 



A> Jomelli was a great harmonift, and naturally grave and 

 inajeftic in his ilyle, he fcems to iiave manifefted abilities 

 in writing for the church, fupcrior even to thofe for the 

 ftage. 



Of the many oratorios he compofed, we are onlv ac 

 quainted with three : " Ifacco Figura del Redentore ;'' 

 " Betuli;'. Liberata j" and " La Paffione ;" all written by 

 Metaftatio, and all admirably fet. In the fir/l accompanied 

 recitative and air of " Ifacco," at the opening of the fecond 

 p:u-t, beginning, «< Chi per picta mi dice, il mio figlio che 

 fii ?" in which are painted, with an uncommon dei^ree of 

 agitation and pafiion, the anxiety and terror of Sarali, dur- 

 ing the abfencc of Abraham, whom (lie fuppofes is in the 

 aft of facrificing her fon Ifaac, have been juitly much ad- 

 mired. 



We are in poflcflion of a Te Deum and a Requiem 

 of his compofition, which manifell him to have been a 

 great matter of tlie church Ilyle ; though he had acquired 

 great fame as a dramatic conipoier before he began to ex- 

 ercife himfelf in this fpecies of writing, concerning which 

 he had never bellowed a thought fince he left th^mufic- 

 merit ; but the clofe fchool, or confervatorio, till about the year 1751, when it 

 A great part of this having been determined at Rome that the mufic for pafTion- 

 opera was compofed by Jomelli in his firft maimer; but week fhould be as excellent as pollible, Durante, Jomelli, 

 originality and the hand of a mafter always appear. I'he and Perez, were employed to fet the leffons from the La- 

 air, «< Eccoti il fig!io," as fung and acled by Mingotti, mentations of Jeremiah, for the tliree moll folemn days of 

 was truly dramatic and affeftin^. The whole is very ?upe- that holy time. Jomelli's compofition was performed on 

 rior to almoll all contemporary produftions. AVednefday, Perez's on Thurfdays, and Durante's on 



In 1759, a duet by Jome'li, in the pafticcio opera of Good Friday. The firft is entitled " Lettione Primo per K 

 " Volocrei'o," was extremely pleafing, and the firft which mercoledi fanto, con Violini, Oboe, Viola, Flauti e Corni 



" " da Caccia." The fecond 



we remarked on the prefent dramatic model, chiefly in 

 dialogue, with only burfts of paflion, in two parts. And 

 Elifi, while he was in England, fung feveral grand airs by 

 Jomelli, compofed on purpofe to difplay that finger's dex- 

 terity in hitting wide interval. 



In 176S, Guarducci, inftead of an opera for his benefit 



Lettione Prima del Giovedi 

 fanto, a Soprano folo, con Violini, Viola, Oboe, c Corni 

 da Caccia." And the third " Lettione Terza del Vencrdi 

 fanto, a 4 Voci, con Violini, Viola, e Corni da Caccia." 

 Having procured a fcore of thefe compofitions at Rome, 

 and lately examined them, we can venture to fay that they 



had the oratorio of " Betulia Liberata," written by Me- all appear admirable : and as the compoft;rs were all men 



tallafio, and fet by Jomelli, in which, among many admi- of great abihties, who exerted themfelves on this honour- 



rable compofitions, an air of fupplication by the high able cccafion, it is difficult to determine, in their feveral 



prieft, through which were heard the murmurs of the peo- fty'es, which is the beft. The produ&ons of Jomelli and 



pie in a diilant chorus, crying for peace and bread in tones Perez are m an elevated, elegant, dignified, fupplicating, 



fo fubdued as fcarccly to be heard, was juftly admired for and expreffive oratorio ftyle ; and that of Durante more in 



its fine and new effeft. the ancient ftyle of church mufic : more learned in modu- 



After he quitted Germany, Jomelli compofed a great lation, more abounding in fugue, and more elaborate in the 



number of operas exprefsly for the king of Portugal, who texture of the parts, as might be expcftcd from hismaturer. 



ried every expedient to tempt him to go to Lifijon ; 

 which honour, though he declined, on account of the deli- 

 cate ftate of his wife's health, yet he annually furniflied 

 that prince with new productions, as well as with whatever 

 lie compofed for other purpofes. 



age, and tlic folemnity of the day on which his mufic was 

 to be performed. 



But though Jomelli acquired confiderable fame by this 

 compofition for the church, yet he was fo far from being 

 intoxicated by it, that in a vifit to Padie Martini, at Bo- 

 He compofed,. after his return to Naples, three operas logna, foon after, he told t'nis learned contrapuntill that he 

 for that city : " Armida," in 1769 ; " Demofoonte,'' 1770 ; had a fcholar to introduce to him. Padre Martini allured. 

 " Ifigenia in Aulide," 1771. And in 1772, " Achille in him, that he fhould be glad to inftruft any one fo well 

 Sciro," for Rome, which was his laft. recommended. And a few days after, the good father 



Some of the mufic which he compofed for the dances of aiking who and where was the difciple he had talked of ? 

 his operas has been much celebrated, particularly his " Cha- Jomelli anfwcrcd, Padre fan 10 ; and pulling ?i JIuJ'io of pa- 

 coar.e," which is well known in England, and has ferved as per out of his pocket, on which he had been trying his 



7 llrtngtU. 



