Pergolesi

Composer during the Baroque

GIOVANNI BATTISTA
PERGOLESI

born in 1710 in Italy

Trained by Francesco Santi, maiestro di capella at

Iesi

Moved to Naples to study at conservatory

Learned composition, violin and singing

Worked in Naples and Rome

Died in Pezzuoli 1736

gets compared to Mozart

Important works
Baroque beginning of opera
Wrote both opera seria and comique
La serva padrona (The Maid as Mistress)
Il prigionero superbo

Chamber music
Concerto
Motet

Examples
Stabat Mater- full
version
https
://www.youtube.com/w
atch?v=qzOmPUuF_M
Choral hymn
medieval poem

meditates on the
suffering of Mary
during crucifixion

La Serva Padrona
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
NsUeywPFEgQ
Uberto, (bachelor) lives with Serpina for

household -arrogant, forbids Uberto

leaving
Uberto wants to find a woman to marry

to get rid of Serpina

Serpina convinces Vespone (friend of

Uberto) to trick Uberto into marrying her

informs Uberto about marriage with

military man named Tempesta.

Vespone, disguised as Tempesta,

demands 4,000 crowns for a dowry

Uberto refuses, Tempesta threatens him

Uberto agrees to marry Serpina

Serpina and Vespone reveal their trick

Uberto marries her anyway

Sources
"SuggestedListening." Giovanni Battista Pergolesi. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2015.
"La Serva Padrona (The Servant as Mistress) (Opera)
Plot & Characters | StageAgent." StageAgent. N.p., n.d.
Web. 04 Oct. 2015.
"Erst Pergolesi Erfand Die Oper Fr Die Ewigkeit." DIE
WELT. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2015.
Grout, Donald Jay., J. Peter Burkholder, and Claude V.
Palisca.
A History of Western Music Eighth Edition. New York:
W.W. Norton, 2006. Print.