Il Marchese Eugenio de Ligniville. Sovrintendente alla musica della Real Camera e Cappella. Un inedito Gluck fiorentino e una querelle musicale con Charles Antoine Campion

Abstract

The Marquis Eugenio de Ligniville was a significant character lived in Florence during the second half of the 18th Century. He belonged to one of the most important lorain family, which followed the main Maison as it changed its seat in Tuscany on 1737. Ligniville was very engaged to promote the music in Florence as a composer himself and especially through his position at the Florentine Court, where he was employed from 1767 as ‘Sovrintendente alla Musica della Real Camera e Cappella’ (Music’s Director). Member of the ‘Accademia Filarmonica’ in Bologna Ligniville was particularly appreciated for his knowledge in the art of Counterpoint. Beside to the contribution in the improvement of the Court’s Orchestra it’s to stress his role in the Florentine Handel’s Revival and in the spreading of Gluck’s music. Positive reports about him were left by numerous contemporaries: the Mozart’s family and the English musicologist Charles Burney after their visit in Florence and Padre Martini, the president of the ‘Accademia Filarmonica’ in Bologna. The particular value of this article consists in the use of unpublished archival sources and its monographic character, in its attention to focus the role of the Marquis. This permitted to bring to light new events of the Florentine musical life such as an unknown Gluck’s Florentine performance of Orfeo and Alceste and a curious musical querelle between the Marquis and the musician Charles Antoine Campion.