GUADAGNI. 
GUADAGNI, GAETAxo, in Biography, 
Vicenza, one of the moft celebrated opera lingers. of the laft 
century. é 
But his finging was not more admired than his figure, dig- 
mity, grace, and intelligence, as an actor. 
He firft came into England with a company of burletta 
fingers, brought hither by Croza, an adventurous impre- 
fario, in 1749, at which time there was no ferious opera in 
firft company of comic fingers that tried its 
fortune in-London. Guadagni, then very young, wild, and 
idle, with a very fine counter-tenor voice of only fix or feven 
notes compafs, performed the ferious man’s part in t efe 
burlettas, and was but little noticed by the panic 3 till 
Handel, pleafed with his clear, {weet, and fu i 
gaged him. to fing, in Samfon and the. Meffiah, the fine airs 
which he had compofed for Mrs. Cibber’s fweet and affeEtin 
voice of low pitch: fuch as, “ He fhall feed his flock like a 
epherd ;”? “ Return O God of Holts ;”’ 
defpifed and rejetted,” &c, 
iampi w 
juit time enough to efcape imprifonment, after {weeping the 
treafury of the opera-houfe, and leaving actors, trades-people, 
and all perfons conneéted with the theatre at the mer 
inc oratorios. is , written by Garrick 
on the plan of Shakefpear’s Midfummer Night’s Dream, had 
c ble fuccefs. In 1753, when the run of this mufical 
man, 
very narrow 
ly efca 
After this dreadful 
Portugal, he acquired utation as firit man i 
year before his re- 
Vienna. 
a as, GInu 8 capri 9 a, 
higheft expectations of his abilities were raifed, by rumour 
a native of 
and * He was - 
> was 
his 
dmiration by his talents, 
i The 
before his arrival here for’ the winter feafon ; and-as an 
a 
aétor, he feems to have had.no equal on any ftage in Europe: 
his figure was uncommonly elegant and noble ; his counte- 
nance replete with beauty, intelligence, and dignity ; and 
his attitudes and geftures were fo full of grace and pro- 
priety, that they would have been excellent’ ftudies for a 
ftatuary. But though his manner of finging was perfectly 
delicate, polifhed, and refined, his voice feemed, at firft, to 
hofe who remembered it when 
of diminifhing the tones of his voice, like the dying notes — 
of the AZolian harp. Mott other fingers captivate by a {well, 
or meffa di voce; but Guadagni, after beginning a note or 
paflage with all the force he could fafely exert, fined it off 
CACCULIVG 
{trong refentments, and high notions of his own importance 
feffi is warmett friends, 
addorato,’’ by Bach ; Ezio by Guglielmi; and Orfeo, 
Gluck. In this laft drama his attitudes, aGtion, and im- 
paflioned and exquifite manner of finging the fimple and 
ballad-like air, “Che fard,’’ acquired him ve at an 
juft applaufe ; but in the midft of the utmoft public favour, 
his private differenee with the Hon. Mr. Hobart, the patentee 
at that time, concerning an imagined affront put upon his 
fifter in favour of Z ined 
his antagonift, difcovering his irritability, ufed, when he Mon 
wl e was fo agitated, as not 
to be a match for a child. He quitted England 6g the laft 
time in the i at Ve- 
all the effe& of extreme diflance. — 
. Re DS ee pa, + 
together with his determined 
