Camaiore has an important musical tradition and many have been musicians and composers that have been important in the international scene to start from the seventeenth century. Among the precursors are Pasqualino Betti, who was born in Camaiore (Lucca) near the end of the century XVII. According to the Nerici, it would have been born about 1660, but this date is to be considered wrong, considering the subsequent ones (documented) of the B. and it has, therefore, to be postponed by at least twenty-five years. It is featuring sweet and extensive voice, the BETTI - which almost certainly had to, studying in Lucca, sizeable town to a thriving musical tradition - it was soon known as a good singer, and as such he went to Lisbon, at the Portuguese court. Back in Italy, after receiving honors and ricompenses in Portugal, April 14th In 1707 he was greeted by his merits to the papal chapel as a supernumerary soprano and 25th september he admitted "to pay", regularly salaried, so, with all the rights and benefits associated with the use of cantor chaplain.  Authentic value singer, it was also called in Rome to give its opera and without missing, moreover, also to take an interest in the Roman musical life, often participated in various academies that were held in the homes or in those of the cardinal principles . December 28th, 1721 BETTI was nominated pointer and was appointed secretary of the papal chapel for a year and in the Congregation of 28th December 1724 to the Chancery building he was elected master of the chapel itself for the year 1725. Seven years later, on April 13th 1732, he made the twenty-five years of service, he was "rejoiced" from the chapel, but he did not ceased its activity, the memory of which the most important is related to a grand musical event held in Rome in 1739. The Betti argued, in fact, one of the major parties in the first complete performance (Roman) of the fifty Psalms Davidic music by Benedetto Marcello, which had been convened by Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni in the palace of the Chancellery and distributed in twelve evenings, from June 8th to 23rd September. The event was really very important, both for the competition of the best singers in Rome as well as the musicians who participated besides the presence of the Elite of the civil and ecclesiastical Roman society. Sacchi left written that Betti, chosen, along with his colleagues, “including the first singers of that age ... maybe he never had equal" .The Betti died in Rome on Sept. 3rd 1752, and not (as affirms Nerici) "around 1740".

Among the most important musicians born in Camaiore we can, without a doubt, count Francesco Gasparini. Born in Camaiore in Sesto Lucchese in 1668 and died in Rome in 1727, was a pupil of A. Corelli and B. Pasquini. In 1682 he moved to Rome, taken with the appointment of organist at the church of the Madonna dei Monti. In Rome, November 28th 1685 he got married with Maria Rosa Borrini, a Roman singer. In December 1686 he made his debut in Livorno, collaborating in the representation of Olimpia dramas. In 1689 he joined the Congregation of Santa Cecilia in Rome. During the Carnival 1690 to Clementino College it was represented his first play Bellerophon. In June 1701 he moved to Venice, where he was nominated choirmaster at the Ospedale della Pietà. At that juncture he had as colleague Antonio Vivaldi, appointed in 1703 violin teacher. For the Ospedale della Pietà he has written nine speakers of Latin text executed in the years 1701-1714. In April 1713 definitively he left Venice. Gasparini, in the Venetian period, composed 24 operas, many of which gone on stage at the Tron Theatre of San Cassiano. In Venice he had the opportunity to meet the great Venetian composers such as Antonio where he was music director at the Hospital (Conservatory) of Mercy, having students F. Bordoni and B. Marcello, assignment that he step after the great Vivaldi. In Rome he was choirmaster at St. John Lateranonel 1725. He composed much sacred music, theater and chamber vocal and instrumental, known his treatise, The Harmonious practice at the harpsichord. In February 1713 he had settled with his family in Città di Castello but we find him to represent his works in the theaters of Genova, Rome, Florence and Reggio Emilia. In 1716 he returned to Rome to represent two works to the theater Capranica: The Ciro and Wenceslas. In 1718 he entered the service of Prince Francesco Maria Ruspoli, as Kapellmeister in place of Antonio Caldara, manteining this place until June 1718. In the same years he took back his relationships with Prince Marcantonio Borghese and his wife Livia Spinola, with whom he has been in contact since 1711. Since 1720 he has been appeared under the title of "virtuous Prince Borghese", although not of the roles of this family. In 1718 he was admitted to the Academy of Arcadia. From 1725 until his death he was the master of the Borghese chapel in Santa Maria Maggiore and the Basilica of St. John Lateran.

In the eighteenth century he was rather a musician appreciated Marco Santucci, who was also in the long line of priests who in Lucca honored the art of sounds and started studying music at the greatest men, as Boccherini, or illustrious as Michele Puccini. He left the land of Camaiore to 17 years and for two years in Naples in the Mus Conservatory then called of Loreto, he studied under the direction of F. Fenaroli. In 1791, he returned - as was said - at home, declining the assignment for the music of the pockets (meetings for the election of the Magistrates of the small republic) felt the vocation to the priesthood and was ordained in 1794. Succeeded to Maestro Pasquale Anfossi in the direction of the Chapel of St. John Lateran for winning the contest attended by men of wide renown as Zingarelli, Tanacconi and De Bolis, soon abandoned that honorary assignment, because appointed canon of the Cathedral of Lucca. Then he became the organist of St. Martin until 1820, teaching harmony and counterpoint - especially during the suppression of Elisa Baciocchi - many students including Eugenio Galli and Michele Puccini. He was a member of the Committee of the 8 for the music section of the Italian Society educated by the Napoleonic government.

In the nineteenth century, they pointed out two other great musicians Ferruccio Ferrari and Giovanni Papini, the first born in Camaiore 4th August 1850 and died in Viareggio. Start by studying the chemical pharmaceutical and medicine but later devoted himself to his musical vocation. He enrolled at the Institute of Musical Lucca, a pupil of Nerici, Pacini and Magi and companion and great friend of Alfredo Catelani finished his studies in Naples at the Conservatorio San Pietro a Maiella with Maestro Lauro Rossi and with whom he received his diploma in composition. In Lucca in the Cathedral of St. Martin he presented his first work a "Miserere" in the Holy Week of 1871. In Bologna he brought his other work entitled Maria and Fernanda who replied to Lucca, Pisa and Verona. In 1877 he presented the work he composed  “Maria Mezinkof”, a lyrical drama. He wrote a third opera entitled Fioretta which then changed to Enrico and Fioretta, remained unpublished. At the Teatro Alfieri of Turin it was staged in 1917 The candlestick music by Ferrari that had a great success then replicated in Rome and even Giacomo Puccini weaves the praise to the musician and composer of Camaiore. He died 13th December 1930 at his home in Via Zanardelli Viareggio.

He obtained a great success with the operetta "The candlestick" in the Alfieri Theatre in Turin in 1917. The author, had also the congratulations of Giacomo Puccini. Giovanni Papini, born in Camaiore (Lucca) on August 1st , 1847. Instead, it was an excellent violinist, teacher and composer, he studied the violin with Ferdinando Giorgetti, of which he was the best student with Federico Consolo, in the Istituto Musicale of Florence. He made his debut at the age of 13 as a soloist in a concerto for violin and orchestra by Louis Spohr. After an interruption, by Abraham's invitation Basevi, he participated to the Company in the Florence Quartet; in 1872 and in 1874 he took part in several concerts of the Society of the Milan Quartet. The concert activity in Italy and France earned him a reputation as an expressive violinist, the brilliant technique and particularly attentive to the care of the sound. Since 1874 he has been living in London, where he was part of the quartet of Musical Union Concerts of John Ella (senior violinist of the Royal Italian Opera) as purple and occasionally, as first violin, alternating with Pablo de Sarasate and Henryk Wieniawski. It was a soloist with the London Philharmonic Concerts in 1875, 1877 and 1878; in 1876 he was in Paris with the orchestra conducted by Jules-Etienne Pasdeloup, then to Bordeaux. He did many tours with many musicians, including Anton Rubinstein, Hans von Bülow, Giovanni Bottesini. Since 1893, when illness forced him to retire himself,  he became the principal professor of violin at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin. Returning to London in 1896, despite failing health, he devoted himself to composition and teaching private. It was one of the examiners of the College of Violinists of London, in which for many years he was president. Among the smaller local musicians but anyway of a good standard, we can remember the teacher Alderano Petrucci, born in Camaiore in 1864. Obtained his diploma in composition in Lucca that allowed him to win the competition for the director of the Band of the 21st Infantry Regiment. Already worthy of being remembered among the Camaiore music teachers. He got many honors, such as the St. Maurice and Lazarus the cross. As well as a talented composer and organist was also outstanding in the Collegiate. He headed for several years the musical Chapel of the Collegiate and composed a Stabat Mater. And last in cronological order we find the master Idilio Donati, born in Barga in 1905 who has lived a very long time of his life in Camaiore where he learned from Alfredo Bernini master the rudiments of music. At the Conservatory of Lucca he completed the piano course but then he studied composition and organ in the Father Pacini school in Viareggio and finally graduated in Bologna at the Royal Academy of Bologna. In 1937 he won the competition of the chapel master in Camaiore and devoted himself to its mission as director of the choir and organist in the Collegiate and had the duty to direct the School of Music and Puccini Philharmonic Camaiore. It has remained alive in the memory of Camaiore its composition of a Stabat Mater, and several hymns, marches and adaptations of operas for the band.

 

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