A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Vianesi, Auguste

VIANESI, Auguste Charles Léonard François, born at Leghorn Nov. 2, 1837, naturalized a Frenchman in 1885, had been for many years the conductor of various Italian opera companies before finally becoming first conductor at the Opéra in Paris. He is the son of a musician, and was taught music by the advice of Pacini and Döhler, and became a chorus master in Italy. In 1857 he came to Paris furnished with a letter of introduction to Rossini from Pasta, and in Paris he completed his musical education. In 1859 he was called to London to conduct the orchestra at Drury Lane. He then went to New York, and was afterwards engaged at the Imperial Theatre at Moscow. He made a short stay in St. Petersburg, and then for twelve years conducted the Italian opera at Covent Garden. Besides this he has wielded his bâton in many other towns, as Vienna, Trieste, Barcelona, Madrid, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow, Dublin, Chicago, Philadelphia, etc. He has a talent for conducting those Italian opera companies which are got together for a month or six weeks, where the singers have neither time to rehearse nor to become acquainted with each other's methods. On July 1, 1887, M. Vianesi, who was naturalized just in time, was chosen by the directors of the Opéra to replace Altès [see Altès in Appendix] as conductor. He fills the post with much exuberance of gesture, but with scarcely more authority than his predecessor.

[ A. J. ]