A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Cagnoni, Antonio

CAGNONI, ANTONIO, born Feb. 8, 1828, at Godiasco, in the district of Voghera, entered the Milan Conservatorio in 1842, remaining there until 1847. Two operas of small calibre were performed in the theatre connected with the establishment, but his first essay before the public was with 'Don Bucefalo,' given at the Teatro Rè in Milan in 1847. This opera buffa, although it has kept the stage in Italy, has never attained success outside its own country; it was given at the Italiens in Paris, but very coldly received. His successive operas have not been received with uniform favour, though several, especially among his later works, have been attended by good fortune. Between 1856 and 1863 he held the post of maestro di capella at Vigevano, and while there devoted himself entirely to religious music. The following is a complete list of his operas:—'Rosalia di San Miniato' (1845); 'I due Savojardi' (1846); 'Don Bucefalo' (1847); 'Il Testamento di Figaro' (1848); 'Amori e Trappole' (1850); 'La Valle d'Andorra' (1854); 'Giralda' (1852); 'La Fioraja' (1855); 'La Figlia di don Laborio' (1856); 'Il Vecchio della Montagna' (1863); 'Michele Perrin' (1864); 'Claudia' (1866); 'La Tombola' (1869); 'Un Capriccio di Donna' (1870); 'Papa Martin' (1871), produced by Carl Rosa at the Lyceum in 1875 as 'The Porter of Havre'; 'Il Duca di Tapigliano' (1874); 'Francesca da Rimini' (1878). In that year he retired to Novara, where he became maestro di cappella in the cathedral, and director of the Istituto musicale. He has since produced nothing but sacred music. Two motets, 'Inveni David' and 'Ave Maria,' were published in 1886. In February of that year Cagnoni was made a commander of the order of the Corona. He is at present (1886) maestro di cappella at Santa Maria Maggiore in Bergamo.

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