A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Marchesi, Luigi
MARCHESI, Luigi, sometimes called Marchesini, was born at Milan, 1755. His father, who played the horn in the orchestra at Modena, was his first teacher; but his wonderful aptitude for music and his beautiful voice soon attracted the attention of some amateurs, who persuaded the elder Marchesi to have the boy prepared for the career of a sopranist. This was done at Bergamo, and young Marchesi was placed under the evirato, Caironi, and Albujo, the tenor, for singing; while his musical education was completed by the Maestro di Cappella, Fioroni, at Milan.
Marchesi made his début on the stage at Borne in 1774, in a female character, the usual introduction of a young and promising singer, with a soprano voice and beautiful person. Towards the close of 1775 the Elector of Bavaria engaged Marchesi for his chapel, but his sudden death, two years after, put an end to this engagement, and the young singer went to Milan, where he performed the part of 'second man,' with Pacchierotti as first, and to Venice, where he played second to Millico. He was advanced in that same year to first honours at Treviso. In the next and following years he sang as 'first man' at Munich, Padua, and Florence, where he created a furore by his exquisite singing of 'Mia speranza, io pur vorrei,' a rondo in Sarti's 'Achille in Sciro.' In 1778 he had worked his way to the great theatre of San Carlo, and continued there during two seasons. He was now looked upon as the first singer in Italy, and was fought for by rival impresari. Once more in Milan (1780), he sang in Misliwiceck's 'Armida,' in which he introduced the famous rondo of Sarti, which all Italy had been humming and whistling since he sang it at Florence, and also an air by Bianchi, almost as successful, 'Se piangi e peni.' His portrait was engraved at Pisa, and the impressions were quickly bought up. He now sang in turn at Turin, Rome, Lucca, Vienna, and Berlin, always with renewed éclat; and he went in 1785 to St. Petersburg with Sarti and Mme. Todi. The rigorous climate of Russia, however, filled him with alarm for his voice, and he fled rapidly back to Vienna, where he sang in Sarti's 'Giulio Sabino.'
We next find him (1788) in London, singing in the same opera by Sarti, having just completed an engagement at Turin. His style of singing now seemed (to Burney) 'not only elegant and refined to an uncommon degree, but often grand and full of dignity, particularly in the recitatives and occasional low notes. Many of his graces were new, elegant, and of his own invention; and he must have studied with intense application to enable himself to execute the divisions and running shakes from the bottom of his compass to the top, even in a rapid series of half-notes. But beside his vocal powers, his performance on the stage was extremely embellished by the beauty of his person and the grace and propriety of his gestures. From this time till 1790 he continued to delight the English, appearing meanwhile at short intervals in the various capitals and chief cities of Europe. In 1794 he sang at Milan in the 'Demofoönte' of Portogallo, and was described in the cast as 'all attual servizio di S. M. il Re di Sardegna.' This memorable occasion was that of the début of Mme. Grassini. He continued to sing at Milan down to the spring of 1806, when he left the stage, and passed the remainder of his life in his native place, honoured and loved. He composed some songs, published in London (Clementi), at Vienna (Cappi), and at Bonn (Simrock). An air, written by him, 'In seno quest' alma,' was also printed.
A beautiful portrait of Marchesi was engraved (June, 1790) by L. Schiavonetti, after R. Cosway; and a curious caricature (now rare) was published under the name of 'A Bravura at the Hanover Square Concert,' by J. N[ixon], 1789, in which he is represented as a conceited coxcomb, bedizened with jewels, singing to the King, Prince of Wales, and courtiers.
Marchesi died at Milan, his native place, December 15, 1829.