A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Casali, Giovanni

CASALI, Giovanni Battista. Chapel-master of St. John Lateran in Rome from 1759 till his death 1792. An opera of his, 'Campaspe,' was produced at Venice 1740. Grétry was his pupil for two years in Rome, but Casali did not detect his talent, and sent him back with a letter of introduction in which he described the great opera writer as 'a nice fellow, but a thorough ass and ignoramus in music.' Casali's works comprise 4 masses, motets, magnificats, and many other pieces for the church. He wrote in a very pure style, though without much invention. A mass and 4 other pieces are given by Lück (Sammlung, 1859), and an 'O quam suavis,' a pretty melodious movement, by Novello, from Choron.

[ G. ]