A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Mazzinghi, Joseph
MAZZINGHI, Joseph, son of Tommaso, of an ancient Corsican family, born in London in 1765, was a pupil of John Christian Bach, under whom he made such progress that, on the death of his father in 1775, he was, although but 10 years of age, appointed organist of the Portuguese Chapel. He then studied under Bertolini, Sacchini and Anfossi. In 1784 he became musical director and composer at the King's Theatre, and produced the operas of 'Il Tesoro' and 'La Belle Arsène,' besides many songs, duets, etc., for introduction into other operas, and the music for several ballets. The score of Paisiello's opera 'La Locanda' having been consumed in the fire of the Opera House in June, 1789, Mazzinghi rescored the work so faithfully as to admit of its continued performance. For the English theatre he set the following pieces;—'A Day in Turkey,' 1791; 'The Magician no Conjuror,' 1792; 'Ramah Droog,' 1793; 'The Turnpike Gate,' 1799; 'Paul and Virginia,' 1800; 'The Blind Girl,' 1801; 'Chains of the Heart,' 1802 (the last five in collaboration with Reeve); 'The Wife of two Husbands,' 1803; 'The Exile,' 1808; and 'The Free Knights,' 1810. The last piece contained the duet 'When a little farm we keep,' which for nearly half a century was highly popular and constantly introduced into other pieces, and is even now occasionally heard. The manner of its original performance was strikingly characteristic of the utter want of regard for congruity which prevailed among the stage managers of that day. Although the piece was represented as taking place in Westphalia in the 14th century, the duet was accompanied upon the pianoforte! [App. p.715 "To have made clear the incongruity in the manner of the original performance of the duet 'When a little farm we keep,' it should have been mentioned that the duet was accompanied on the pianoforte by one of the singers of it, upon the stage."]
Mazzinghi was music master to the Princess of Wales, afterwards Queen Caroline, and had an extensive practice as a teacher of the pianoforte, for which instrument he composed nearly 70 sonatas and arranged a multitude of pieces, besides writing an 'Introduction' to it. His glees, trios, harmonised airs, songs and other vocal pieces, were legion. His pastoral glee, 'The Wreath' ('Tell me, shepherds,') was long in favour. He likewise composed a mass for 3 voices, and 6 hymns. Having about 1830 attained the rank of Count he retired to Bath, where he died, Jan. 15, 1844.[ W. H. H. ]