Chapel, Windsor, where an inscription was placed over his grave which stated him to have been master of the children there 49 years, master of the children of the Chapel Royal 38 years, and to have been 75 years of age. A comparison with the dates given above, which are all derived from authentic records, will show that all three statements on the gravestone were erroneous.
[ W. H. H. ]
GIORDANI. An Italian musical family of the 18th century, consisting of a father, three sisters, and two brothers, who played little comic operas in one of the Neapolitan theatres till 1762 [App. p.647 "1753"], when the whole troupe migrated to London [App. p.647 "with the singer Lini"], with the exception of the younger brother, Giuseppe, then but nine, who remained behind to learn composition in the Conservatorio di Loreto, where he had Cimarosa and Zingarelli for his fellow students. The Giordani family came out at the Haymarket Theatre, and made a great success. In 1772 they were joined by their brother, who had by that time obtained the sobriquet of Giordanello, and who became composer to the troupe. His best-known opera was 'Il Baccio,' [App. p.647 "Bacio"] which seems to have kept the boards from 1774 to 79. In addition to composing he was much in vogue as a teacher, and Fétis gives a list of 6 P.F. quintets, 3 ditto quartets, 12 ditto trios, 6 string quartets, 3 Concertos for Viol and Orchestra, besides preludes, sonatas, and lessons for the harpsichord, all which he published in London between 1776 and 1782. In the latter year he returned to Italy, and remained there for 10 years, producing in that time no less than 24 operas and oratorios, besides other compositions for the chamber, some published in London and some in Berlin. He died at Lisbon in May 94, having gone there to conduct the Italian Opera.
His elder brother Tomasso [App. p.647 "Tommaso"], who is not clearly distinguishable from Giuseppe, remained in England, acted, taught, played, and composed. In 1779, however, he went to Dublin, and in partnership with Leoni [App. p.647 "Lini"] the singer took the theatre in Chapel Street as an opera house. At the end of four years they were bankrupt. Giordani however had plenty of teaching, he married, and composed an opera 'Perseverance' and an oratorio 'Isaac,' both of which appear to have been successful, as well as pianoforte pieces and songs, Italian and English, which last had a great sale. An air by one of the brothers, 'Caro mio ben,' is still sung at concerts.
[ G. ]
GIORGI. See Banti.
GIOVANELLI, Ruggiero, born 1560 at Velletri, near Rome. Nothing is known of his circumstances or early studies. In 1587 we find him maestro di capella to San Luigi de' Francesi on the Corso in Rome; from thence he passed to the Chiesa dell' Anima, belonging to the German College; and, March 12, 1594, was appointed Palestrina's successor at St. Peter's, entering on his duties three days later. On April 7, 1599, he was made a member of the Sistine choir. He was living in 1615, as in that year he published the second volume of his new edition of the 'Graduate,' undertaken at the request of Pope Paul V, and magnificently printed at the Medici press, but disfigured by many arbitrary alterations of the text. Proske has inserted a 'Dixit' of Giovanelli's, in his 'Musica Divina' (Tom. iii.) and speaks of his works as 'graceful, pure in style, and very pleasing in harmony, and able to bear comparison with those of the greatest masters.' Baini's 'Palestrina' also contains many allusions to Giovanelli. Amongst his works preserved in the Pontifical Chapel at Rome, Baini specially mentions a 'Miserere' for 4 and 8 voices, and a Mass, à 8, on Palestrina's madrigal 'Vestiva i colli'; but he does not seem to have known of a particularly fine Mass à 12, characterised by Proske as full of beauty and imagination. Giovanelli was a great composer of madrigals, even in that fertile age. He published 5 books of them, with 2 of Canzonette and Vilanelle, between the years 1586 and 92. Others are to be found in the collections of Scotto and Phalese (Eitner, 'Sammelwerke'). The date of his death is unknown.
[ F. G. ]
GIPSY'S WARNING, THE. An opera in 3 acts; words by Linley and Peake; music by Jules Benedict. Produced at Drury Lane April 19, 1838. It was much acted in Germany. 'Rage, rage, thou angry storm,' and 'Blest be the home,' were long favourites in concert rooms.
[ G. ]
GIRARDEAU, Isabella, detta LA ISABELLA, an Italian singer, married to a Frenchman, who performed in the early Italian Operas in London. She is, perhaps, the same as the Isabella Calliari mentioned in Quadrio's list among the female singers who flourished from 1700–20. She succeeded 'the Baroness' at the Haymarket, and appeared first in 'Almahide.' She sang in the first and succeeding performances of Handel's 'Rinaldo.' In this, one of her songs, 'Bel piacer,' was wholly unaccompanied even by a bass,—a severe trial for any voice. On Dec. 12 of the same year, Gasparini's 'Antiochus' was produced, in which La Isabella took a part, as she did also in the following January in his 'Ambleto.' In the latter she had 'a noisy song for trumpets and hautbois obligati' (Burney), from which it may be inferred that her voice was very strong.
[ J. M. ]
GIRELLI AGUILAR, Signora, an Italian prima donna, who took part in the 'grand dramatic serenata' composed by Mozart (1771) in honour of the nuptials of the Archduke Ferdinand, celebrated at Milan on Oct. 17 of that year. 'The archduke and his bride, not only frequently inclined their heads from their box and applauded the maestro, but encored two airs sung by Manzuoli and Girelli' (Holmes, p. 79). After this, Girelli married a Frenchman named Aguilar, and visited London, succeeding Grassi, and singing the principal rôle in Vento's 'Sophonisba' (1772–3); after which her name is not found again in London.
[ J. M. ]
