Dictionary of National Biography, 1912 supplement/Piatti, Alfredo Carlo
PIATTI, ALFREDO CARLO (1822–1901), violoncellist and composer, was born on 8 Jan. 1822 at Bergamo, where his father, Antonio Piatti, was leader of the town orchestra. At five years old he began to learn the violoncello under his great-uncle Zanetti, and at seven played in the orchestra, next year succeeding to Zanetti's place. In 1832 he obtained a five years' scholarship at the Conservatorio of Milan. At the end of his course he played in public a concerto of his own composition, and was presented with the violoncello he had used, on 21 Sept. 1837. He then played in the Bergamo orchestra, taking trips with his father when there was a chance of pla3dng solos. After a time he went into Austria and Hungary, but fell ill at Pesth, and was obliged to sell his prize violoncello. Rescued by a Bergamo friend he returned home by way of Munich, where he met Liszt, and played at his concert. Liszt publicly embraced him, and he was thrice recalled. After appearing at Paris and Ems, he reached London, where he played in the opera orchestra and at private parties, and made his debut as soloist at Mrs. Anderson's concert on 31 May 1844. The boy Joachim first appeared at the same concert. Piatti made several other appearances, and a provincial tour in the autumn; his success everywhere was immediate and complete, but he earned little, and was able to return home only by the assistance of the vocalist Mme. Castellan. In 1845 he toured in Russia. In 1846 he returned to England, where he at once became a principal figure in London musical life. His small figure and serious spectacled face were thenceforth familiar for half a century to all London concert-goers. Mendelssohn talked of writing a concerto for him, which however has not been found. Alike in execution, in tone, and in expression he was unsurpassed. Difficulties had no existence for him, and his delivery of a melody was a lesson to vocalists. He took composition lessons from Molique. After Lindley's retirement in 1851 Piatti had no rival, leading the violoncellos at the principal concerts, and taking part in chamber music, for which he was peculiarly fitted. Stemdale Bennett's sonata-duo (1852), Molique's concerto (1853), and Sullivan's concerto (1866) and Duo (1868) were all written for him and first performed by him. At the Monday Popular Concerts Piatti played from their establishment in 1859 till 1896. He lived at 15 Northwick Terrace, St. John's Wood, latterly spending the summer at an estate he had bought at Cadenabbia, Lake Como. He rarely played outside London; he appeared at Bergamo in 1875 and again in 1893, on the latter occasion receiving the order of the Crown of Italy from King Humbert. On 22 March 1894, to celebrate the jubilee of his and Joachim's first appearances in London, a testimonial to both was publicly presented to them at the Grafton Galleries.
In 1898 Piatti retired. His last few months were spent with his only surviving daughter, Countess Lochis, at Crocetta near Bergamo, where he died on 22 July 1901. He was buried in the castle chapel; four professors played his favourite movement, the variations on 'Der Tod und das Madchen' in Schubert's D minor quartett, and agreed to play it annually at the graveside. Piatti married in 1856 Mary Ann Lucey Welsh, daughter of a singing master; but they separated. She died in Sept. 1901.
Piatti's compositions included six sonatas, three concertos, twelve caprices, and some slighter pieces for the violoncello, as well as some songs with violoncello obbligato, one of which, 'Awake, awake,' had a lasting success. He re-edited works by Boccherini, Locatelli, Veracini, Marcello, and Porpora, and Kummer's method. He arranged for the violoncello Ariosti's sonatas, melodies by Schubert and Mendelssohn, and variations from Christopher Sympson's 'Division-Violist' (1659).
A portrait by Frank Holl was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1879.
[Morton Latham, Alfredo Piatti (with portraits); Grove's Dict. of Music; Musical Times (with portrait), Aug. 1901.]