A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Florimo, Francesco

FLORIMO, Francesco, born Oct. 12, 1800, at San Giorgio Morgeto, Calabria, was taught music at the Royal College of Music at Naples, where he learnt counterpoint and composition from Zingarelli. He was appointed in 1826 Librarian of the College of Music (afterwards incorporated with that of San Pietro di Majella), where finding the archives in a state of chaos and disorder, by his energy and perseverance he gradually made the Library one of the most interesting and valuable in Europe. He added a number of important works, besides a collection of autographs and manuscripts, of all the masters of the Neapolitan School. Florimo's compositions include a Cantata, op. i, in honour of the Duke of Noja, Director of the College of San Sebastiano; a Dixit; a Credo; a Te Deum; Funeral Symphony composed on the death of Bellini, afterwards performed at Zingarelli's funeral; a Chorus and Fugal Overture on the unveiling of Zingarelli's portrait at the College; 'Ore musicali,' a setting of 10 songs, vocal duet and quartet (Girard, Naples) 1835; 12 songs published under the same title by Boosey (London, 1845) six of which were included in the first collection; 3 popular Neapolitan songs in a collection published by Lonsdale, 1846; 24 Songs (Ricordi, Milan) etc. He has written a Method of singing (Ricordi), 3rd edition 1866; a 'History of the Neapolitan School of Music,' Naples, 2 vols, 1869–71; a 'History of the College San Pietro,' Naples, 1873; a second edition of the above with the History of Music in Italy, Naples, 4 vols. 1880–82; 'Wagner and the Wagnerites,' Ancona, 1883, with a supplement containing letters from Verdi and Bülow, from Frau Wagner 'to the most amiable of librarians, and the juvenile octogenarian,' expressing the satisfaction of herself and her husband at a performance of a Miserere of Leo by the students of the College on the occasion of their visit there in 1880; also a lithograph copy of a letter from Wagner himself to the Duke of Bagnara, the President, from the Villa d'Angri, Naples, dated April 22, 1880. [App. p.819 "date of death, Oct. 2, 1888."]

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