A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Lamperti, Francesco
LAMPERTI, Francesco, teacher of singing. Born at Savona 1813 [App. p.696 "March 11"]. His father was an advocate, and his mother a prima-donna of considerable repute. As a child he showed great talent for music, and was placed under Pietra Rizzi of Lodi. In 1820 he entered the Conservatorio at Milan, and there studied the pianoforte and harmony under Sommaruga d'Appiano and Pietro Ray. Devoting himself afterwards to the teaching of singing, he became associated with Masini in the direction of the Teatro Filodrammatico at Lodi. Selecting many of the members of his company from the natives of the surrounding country, he educated and brought out at his theatre many famous singers, such as La Tiberini, whose reputation otherwise would never have extended beyond their native village.
Attracted by their success pupils flocked to him from Bergamo, Milan, and other parts of Europe, and he there trained many of the most distinguished operatic vocalists; amongst whom may be named Jeanne-Sophie Löwe, Cruvelli, Grua, Brambilla, Hayes, Artôt, Tiberini, La Grange, and others equally distinguished. Appointed in 1850 by the Austrian government professor of singing to the Conservatorio at Milan, he brought out amongst others Angelica Moro, Paganini, Galli, Kisarelli, Angeleri, Peralta; and as private pupils, Albani, Stoltz, Waldmann, Aldighieri, Campanini, Vialletti, Derevis, Mariani, Palermi, Everardi, and Shakespeare. After twenty-five years service he retired from the Conservatorio upon a pension in 1875, and now devotes himself entirely to private pupils.
A friend of Rubini and Pasta, and associated with the great singers of the past, Lamperti follows the method of the old Italian school of singing, instituted by Farinelli and taught by Crescentini, Velluti, Marchesi, and Romani. Basing his teaching upon the study of respiration, the taking and retention of the breath by means of the abdominal muscles alone, and the just emission of the voice, he thoroughly grounds his pupils in the production of pure tone. His memory and his intuition are alike remarkable, and enable him to adapt to each of his pupils such readings of the music and cadenzas as are warranted by the traditions of the greatest singers and are best adapted to their powers. Mme. Albani, writing in 1875 of his published treatise on singing, says: 'To say that I appreciate the work, it is sufficient for me to state that I am a pupil of the Maestro Lamperti, and that I owe to him and to his method the true art of singing, so little known in these days.'
He is Commendatore and Cavaliere of the order of the Crown of Italy, and a member of many academies and foreign orders. He is the author of several series of vocal studies and of a treatise on the art of singing (Ricordi & Co.), which has been translated into English by one of his pupils.[ J. C. G. ]