Biography: Alessandro Curmi

Composer

Born in Valletta, Curmi studied piano under Pietro Paolo Bugeja and in Naples at the Conservatorio San Pietro a Maiella, under Nicola Zingarelli, Giovanni Furno, and Giacomo Tritto. Curmi’s most illustrious fellow student was Vincenzo Bellini who was at the college from 1819 to 1825

While still a student in Naples, and under Zingarelli’s direct tutelage, Curmi wrote his first opera Gustavo d’Orxa nella torre d’occidente, which was presented at the Teatro Nuovo sopra Toledo, of Naples during Spring of 1827, and reproduced in Teatro Valle in  Rome in 1830.His second opera Aristodemo was presented at the Teatro Pergola in Florence in 1830.

In 1832 he was engaged as a utility singer during the Carnival Season at the Teatro Valle in Rome taking comprimario tenor and baritone roles.

Later in 1832 Curmi returned to Malta and the impresario of the Manoel Theatre, Domenico Amore wanted him to compose an opera based on Walter Scott’s novel Rob Roy which was premiered on 7 December.

A few months later, in August 1833 he returned to Naples, and this was marked with a particular event – the birth of his daughter Giulia, the only offspring from his marriage to Adele Morello.  Here he composed his most important work, the opera Elodia di Herstall, which was commissioned by the directors of Teatro San Carlo of Naples, and was presented in October 1842, to great acclaim by the general public and the theatre’s royal patronage.

In 1843 Curmi returned to his homeland where he presented his new opera Il proscritto di Messina at the Manoel Theatre for several times.

Towards the end of 1845 Curmi left Malta for London, but he broke his journey in Paris where he explored the possibilities of obtaining a commission to compose an opera for Paris. It seemed that the prospects were encouraging and probably psychologically uplifted by these hopes he composed his cantata Sancte Paole in honour of Malta’s patron saint for St Paul’s Shipwrecked church, Valletta.

Curmi’s engagement in London arose  from Michael Costa’s visit to Birmingham in 1829. In 1830 there began Costa’s long association as director and conductor of Italian opera, with Her Majesty’s Theatre in the Haymarket. He remained  there until the end of 1846 when the management forced him  to transfer himself to the Theatre Royal Covent Garden. Diverse members of his opera company followed his example, which marked the start of the decline of Her Majesty’s Theatre. The new enterprise included Signor Alessandro Curmi as resident ballet composer.

During its initial season at Covent Garden, the Royal Italian Opera produced at least ten different complete ballets. From these, four ballets were staged during this season: L’Odalisque, premiered 6 April; La Reinedes Fees, on 20 April; La Bouquetiere de Venise, 6 May; and La Salamandrine, 18 May – they all had music specifically composed by Curmi.  Curmi is the only known Maltese composer ever to have been awarded a contract tied to an operatic season, surely a reflection of his status both as a talented creator and as a musician having the required technical prowess to deliver under strenuous and challenging working conditions. The Maltese Alessandro Curmi helped to establish Covent Garden as  a major international ‘temple’ for opera and ballet.

In September 1847, Curmi returned to Paris where he was called to compose a grand opera, La Rivoluzione, dividing it in six parts. This was premiered in Paris in 1848, and it was premiered in Malta on 5 April 1850. In 1856 Alessandro Curmi was recalled to Naples to compose a tragic opera for the San Carlo.

He was only 55 years when he died in Naples.

This biography is part of the collection created by Michael Schiavone over a 30-year period. Read more about Schiavone and his initiative here.