Bianchi, Francesco

Bianchi, Francesco, Italian composer; b. Cremona, c. 1752; d. (suicide) London, Nov. 27, 1810. He studied in Naples with Jommelli and Cafaro. He wrote nearly 80 operas, some quite pleasing, but ephemeral. His first was Giulio Sabino (Cremona, 1772); it was followed by II Grand Cidde (Florence, 1773). From 1775 to 1778 he was in Paris serving as maestro al cembalo at the Comédie-Italienne, where he produced his opera La Réduction de Paris (Sept. 30, 1775). In 1778 he went to Florence, and in 1783 he became 2 nd maestro at the Cathedral of Milan, a post he held until 1793, He concurrently worked in Venice from 1785 to 1791, and again from 1793 to 1797, when he served as second organist at S. Marco. He subsequently was in Naples, where he produced his most significant opera, La Vendetta de Nino (Nov. 12, 1790). In 1794 he went to London, where he officiated as conductor at the King’s Theatre (1795–1801); several of his operas were produced there under his supervision. Apart from his operas, he wrote instrumental music, and publ. a theoretical treatise, Dell’attrazione armonica , which was publ. in excerpts, in Eng., in the Quarterly Musical Magazine and Review (1820–21). Bianchi was also a successful teacher, numbering among his English pupils Henry Bishop.