Cherubini, Luigi (1760-1842)

Cherubini, Luigi

COMPOSER (ITALY)

BORN 14 Sep 1760, Firenze, Toscana - DIED 15 Mar 1842, Paris
BIRTH NAME Cherubini, Maria Luigi Carlo Zenobio Salvatore
GRAVE LOCATION Paris: Père Lachaise, Rue du Repos 16 (division 11, ligne 01, Y, 20)

Cherubini was educated by his father, who was a musician. At the age of thirteen he had written several religious compositions. He continued his musical studies in Bologna and Milan from 1778 until 1780. He started writing conventional Italian opera's. In 1788 he visited London and that same year he settled in Paris. There he started writing more original music and in 1791 he was successful with "Lodoïska". In 1794 followed "Eliza" and in 1797 "Médée" followed. In 1800 "Les deux Journées" was another success.

His success in Paris faded and he left for Vienna, where his opera "Faniska" was praised by Haydn and Beethoven. After "Les abencérages" was little successful in 1813 he turned his attention to church music. His "Requiem in C-minor" (1816) commemorated the death of Louis XVI and was a success. In 1822 he was appointed director of the Conservatoire in Paris. In 1823 he refused the young Franz Liszt to enter the Conservatoire because he was a foreigner.

In 1835 his book "Cours de contrepoint et de fugue" was completed. Although many of his pupils suffered from his frequent bad temper he also had several close friends. Among them were Rossini and Chopin, but especially Ingres, who liked to play the violin and Cherubini himself was an eager amateur painter. In 1841 Ingres painted his portrait. He died in 1842 and was buried close to Chopin at Père Lachaise.

Related persons
• was teacher of Auber, Daniel
• met Balfe, Michael
• was teacher of Batton, Desiré-Alexandre
• was a friend of Chopin, Frédéric
• was teacher of Halévy, Fromental
• was painted by Ingres, Jean Auguste Dominique
• has a connection with Liszt, Franz
• was a friend of Rossini, Gioacchino
• was teacher of Zimmermann, Pierre

Events

13/12/1794	Premiere of Cherubini's opera "Éliza" at the Théâtre Feydeau in Paris. The libretto in French was written by Jacques-Antoine de Révéroni Saint-Cyr. Julie-Angélique Scio was Éliza and other singers were Pierre Gaveaux and Jean Blaise Martin.
12/12/1823	Luigi Cherubini refuses to admit Franz Liszt to the Conservatory in Paris. Cherubini declared that according to a new rule only French students were admitted to the piano class. [Liszt, Franz]

Images
The grave of Maria Luigi Cherubini at Père Lachaise, Paris. Picture by Androom (19 Nov 2006)	Cenotaph for Luigi Cherubini at the Santa Croce, Florence. Picture by Androom (07 Feb 2011)