Fenaroli, Fedele

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Fenaroli, Fedele

Fenaroli, Fedele, Italian composer and pedagogue; b. Lanciano, April 25, 1730; d. Naples, Jan. 1, 1818. After studies with his father, a church organist, he settled in Naples and continued his training with Durante and Gallo at the Cons, of S. Maria di Loreto. In 1762 he was made its 2nd maestro di cappella, and in 1777 its maestro di cappella. After it was merged with the Turchini Cons, in 1807 to form the Cons, of S. Pietro a Majella, he became a teacher of counterpoint there. He was held in great esteem as a teacher, and was the mentor of Cimarosa, Mercadante, and Zingarelli. He publ. Regole musicali per i principianti di cembalo nel sonar coi numeri (Naples, 1775), Partimento ossia Basso numerate (Rome, 1800), and Studio del contrappunto (Rome, 1800). He composed the operas I due sediarii (Naples, 1759; not extant) and La disfatta degli Amaleciti (Chieti, 1780), as well as much sacred music.

Bibliography

T. Consalvo, La teoria musicale del F. (Naples, 1826).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire