Rolla, Alessandro

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Rolla, Alessandro

Rolla, Alessandro , Italian violinist, violist, teacher, and composer, father of Giuseppe Antonio Rolla; b. Pavia, April 6, 1757; d. Milan, Sept. 15, 1841. He was 1st violist (1782–92) and 1st violinist (1792–1803) in the Parma ducal orchv then Is’ violinist and director of Milan’s La Scala orch. (1803–33) and 1st prof. of violin and viola at the Milan Cons. (1808–35). Paganini was sent to Parma in 1795 to study with Rolla, but upon his arrival Rolla is reported to have told him that there was nothing left to teach him.

Works

DRAMATIC: Ballet : Aâelasia (Milan, 1779); Iserbeck (Padua, 1802); Eloisa e Roberto or 11 Conte d’Essex (Rome, 1805); Pizzarro (Milan, 1807); Abdul (Vienna, 1808); Achilles auf Skyros (Vienna, 1808). ORCH.: Syms.; 10 violin concertos; 15 viola concertos; other works. CHAMBER: Many pieces.

Bibliography

G. Zampieri, l’epoca e l’arte di A. R. (Pavia, 1941); L. Inzaghi, A. R.: Vita e opera del grande musicista, maestro di Niccolo Paganini (Milan, 1984).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire