Musica e sociabilità nelle lettere di Antonio di Gennaro a Giovanni Cristofano Amaduzzi

Abstract

The Neapolitan man of letters Antonio di Gennaro Duke of Belforte (1717-1791) had a lenghty exchange of letters with Giovanni Cristofano Amaduzzi (1740-1792) starting from 1778; the contact between the two, who never met in person, was facilitated by Aurelio de’ Giorgi Bertola (1753-1798). The paper provides a short profile of Belforte, and describes his constant interest in music as well as his occasional activity as a librettist. Belforte's letters to Amaduzzi, still unpublished, are examined in order to collect information on the performances – in the court, theater or academy – he attended. The selected data not only offer valuable details and judgments about composers and compositions, but highlight the interweaving of musical practices and sociability in the Neapolitan culture of the late eighteenth century.