Gaetano Orsini

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Gaetano Orsini
Born
Gaetano Orsini

ca. 1667
Bologna
DiedOctober 21, 1750(1750-10-21) (aged 82–83)
Vienna
NationalityItalian
OccupationSinger
Years active1694 or earlier until 1739 or later[1]

Gaetano Orsini (c. 1667 ‐ 1750), often only named Gaetano, was a castrato singer. Born in Bologna, his path took him to Milan and Vienna. At the court of Vienna, he was one of the busiest singers; his career at the Hofkapelle lasted more than 50 years in which he performed in many oratorios and operas. As the Österreichisches Musiklexikon notes, his voice was often accompanied by a violoncello or chalumeau obligato, not a very frequent choice, which helps us to make assumptions about the character of Orsini's voice that it complemented the obligato part so well.

An incomplete list of works where Orsini's part was paired with the violoncello:

Works where Orsini's voice was matched with the Chalumeau:

  • Giovanni Bononcini: Turno Aricino, 1707
  • Francesco Bartolomeo Conti: Teseo in Creta, 1715
  • Johann Joseph Fux: Orfeo ed Euridice, 1715, 1728
  • Johann Georg Reinhardt: La Più Bella, 1715
  • Antonio Lotti : Il Costantino, 1716
  • Francesco Bartolomeo Conti: Sesostri Rè d'Egitto, 1716
  • Antonio Caldara: Ormisda, 1721
  • Antonio Caldara: Il Re del Dolore, 1722 (oratorio)

Orsini was one of Johann Joseph Fux' preferred singers. With the exception of his opera Psiche (1720), Orsini appeared in all of Fux's operas, as well as in the coronation opera Costanza e Fortezza (1723) in Prague.

Towards the end of Karl VI's reign, Orsini's performances became rarer, especially after Caldara's death in 1736. However, he appears in the singers' lists of Viennese opera scores until at least 1739. (abridged from the Österreichisches Musiklexikon)[1]

Gaetano Orsini in Philippe Jaroussky's discography

Solo Albums/Recital albums

Year Album
2020 La Vanità del Mondo

Complete list of musical numbers originally sung by Gaetano Orsini

This listing only contains the musical pieces performed and/or recorded by Philippe Jaroussky.

Year published or performed Title Work Lyricist Composer Album, Video or Concert Program Year first published/performed
2020 "Bacio l'ombre e le catene" Giovanni Domenico Filipeschi Antonio Maria Bononcini 1709[2]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Orsini, Gaetano Felice". Österreichisches Musiklexikon Online. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  2. "Antonio Maria BONONCINI (1677-1726), La decollazione di San Giovanni Battista (1709)". Musicweb International. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2021.

Further Reading