A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Viganò, Salvatore

by George Grove

VIGANÒ, Salvatore. A famous dancer, and composer both of the action and the music of ballets, who will have a longer reputation than is otherwise his due, owing to his connection with Beethoven. He was born at Naples March 29, 1769, and died at Milan (the native town of his father) Aug. 10, 1821. He began his career at Rome in female parts, women being then forbidden the stage there. We next find him at Madrid—where he married Maria Medina, a famous dancer—Bordeaux, London, and Venice. At Venice he brought out an opera, 'Raoul, sire de Crequi,' both words and music his own. Thence he came to Vienna, where he and his wife made their début, May 13, 1793. He then travelled in Germany, and returned to Vienna in 1799. Here he attracted the notice of the Empress, and the result was his ballet of The Men of Prometheus, 'Gli Uomini di Prometeo,' or 'Die Geschöpfe des Prometheus' (music by Beethoven), the subject of which is said to have been suggested by Haydn's 'Creation' (Schöpfung), then in its first fame. The piece is called an heroic allegorical ballet, in two acts. It was produced at the Court Theatre, March 28, 1801, and the two 'creations' were danced by Viganò and Mlle. Cassentini, his wife being then passée. It had a remarkable run, being performed sixteen times in 1801, and thirteen times in 1802. Viganò was evidently a man of great ability, and made a real reputation for his abandonment of the old artificial Italian style of ballet in favour of a 'closer imitation of nature.' Ten ballets of his are mentioned in the 'Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung,' and no doubt these are not all that he composed. How solid was his success may be judged from a passage in one of the letters of Henri Beyle (Stendhal): 'Viganò has been immensely prosperous; 4000 francs are the usual income of a ballet composer, but he has had 44,000 for the year 1819 alone.'

Viganò seems to have given his name to a kind of Minuet in 4-4 time; at least, if we may so interpret the title of a set of 12 Variations on a Minuet 'à la Vigano,' which Beethoven published in Feb. 1796.

The minuet was certainly danced, for the names of the dancers are given,^[1] and is as certainly in Common tune:—

It is worth noting that Beethoven has put the concluding variation and coda into triple time:—

The new form does not appear to have taken root. Beethoven wrote a Scherzo in duple time in his Sonata, op. 31, no. 3, and a Trio in the same in the 9th Symphony; and Mendelssohn a Scherzo in 2-4 in his Scotch Symphony; but a Minuet proper would seem to be essentially in triple time.

There is a life of Viganò—'Commentarii della vita,' etc., by Carlo Ritorni, 8vo., Milan, 1838; and much information on him and on the Ballet of Prometheus (from which the above is chiefly compiled) is given by.Thayer in his 'Beethoven,' vol. ii. 124–126 and 380–384.

[ G. ]

1. The title of the original edition (given in the Wiener Zeitung of Feb. 27, 1796) runs as follows: 'XII Variazioni per il Clavicembalo o Piano-Forte (for harpsichord or piano) sul Menuetto ballato dalla Sigrs. Venturini e Sigr. Chechi nel Ballo delle Nozze disturbate, del Sigr. Luigi van Beethoven no. 3. In Vienna presso Artaria e Comp.' The Ballet was composed by J. J. Haibl, and produced at the Court Theatre, May 18. 1795.