Mannelli, Carlo

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Mannelli, Carlo

Mannelli, Carlo, Italian castrato soprano, violinist, and composer; b. Rome, Nov. 4, 1640; d. there, Jan. 6, 1697. He entered the service of Prince Camillo Pamphili as a child, receiving training in voice and violin. He sang in patronal festivities at S. Luigi dei Francesi (1650, 1651), and appeared as Lerino in P. Ziani’s opera Le fortune di Rodope e Damira (Venice, 1657). In 1660 he became a singer at S. Luigi dei Francesi, where he also was a violinist from 1665. He was its first violinist (1676–82), and then resumed his position as a singer there. From 1659 to 1664 he was also a singer at the Arciconfratenità del Ss. Crocifisso at S. Marcello, where he likewise was a violinist, later serving as its first violin (1668–90). From 1663 he also was a violinist of the Congregazione di S. Cecilia. He was much esteemed as a violinist and composer. His trio sonatas are particularly noteworthy (Rome, 1682, 1692).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire