Opera Scotland

Fanatico per la musica 1832De Begnis Italian Opera Company

Read more about the opera Fanatico per la musica

Giuseppe de Begnis was now an accepted figure on the British musical scene, appearing in Edinburgh with his shows interspersed among the activities of the regular company. 1832 saw two visits - the tail-end of one tour in January, with another one to follow in the weeke before Christmas

Both visits included this farcical concoction, Il fanatico per la musica, clearly one of his favourite roles. The opera was assembled from a number of musical sources, of which Donizetti's teacher, Simone Mayr, was probably the main one. After the opera, in January the evening's entertainment was to continue with 'The Laughable Interlude of John Jones!!!', followed by 'the Favourite Farce of The Sleeping Draught', the whole to conclude with 'a New Comic Ballet, called L'Amour, L'Amour, produced under the direction of the Brothers Ridgway.

Apart from Giuseppe de Begnis himself, none of the names in January is well-known, and none had appeared in the opera on the 1828 visit. But it is curious that there is a singer by the name of Signor Sapio. Could he be an ancestor of Romualdo Sapio, who would be an important conductor with the Moody-Manners company many decades later? In December, only two singers other than the manager are mentioned in the advert, but Donzelli was particularly renowned, while he and Méric had both been very well received during this visit. Sapio and Miss Waters are not mentioned in the December advertisement, but they did return with the company that month

The casts of Il fanatico are as advertised in the Caledonian Mercury.