Mabellini, Teodulo

Mabellini, Teodulo, Italian conductor and composer; b. Pistoia, April 2, 1817; d. Florence, March 10, 1897. He studied with Pillotti and Gherardeschi in Pistoia, then was a student at Florence’s Istituto Reale Musicale (1833–36). At the age of 19, he produced there an opera, Matilda a Toledo (Aug. 27, 1836), which made so favorable an impression that Grand Duke Leopold II gave him a stipend to study with Mercadante at Novara. His 2^nd opera, Rolla (Turin, Nov. 12, 1840), was no less successful; thereupon he wrote many more operas, among them Ginevra degli Almieri (Turin, Nov. 13,1841), II Conte di Lavagna (Florence, June 4, 1843), I Veneziani a Costantinopoli (Rome, 1844), Maria di Francia (Florence, March 14,1846), II venturiero (Livorno, Carnival 1851; in collaboration with L. Gordigiani), II convito di Baldassare (Florence, Nov. 1852), and Riammetta (Florence, Feb. 12, 1857). He also wrote several effective oratorios and cantatas: Eudossia e Paolo (Florence, 1845), Etruria (Florence, Aug. 5, 1849), and Lo spirito di Dante (Florence, May 15, 1865). Other works include a patriotic hymn, Italia risorta (Florence, Sept. 12, 1847), Grande fanstasia for Flute, Clarinet, Horn, Trumpet, and Trombone, and sacred works for chorus and orch. He lived in Florence from 1843 until his death. He conducted the concerts of the Società Filarmonica (1843–59) and taught composition at the Istituto Reale Musicale (1859–87).

Bibliography

M. Giannini, M. e la musica (Pistoia, 1899); A. Simonatti, T. M.(Pistoia, 1923).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire