# Giovanni Battista Draghi (better known as Pergolesi)



## GioCar

As strange as it may seem, I could not find a thread on him.

An awesome baroque composer, died too young - he was only 26 years old... younger than Schubert....

In spite of his very short life he left many wonderful works to posterity, from sacred music to opera and cantatas.

His Stabat Mater is one of the most famous sacred music piece ever...

His "La Serva Padrona" is considered the earliest example of the opera buffa genre....

And then the Stravinsky's homage with his Pulcinella ballet (although less than half of the music is from Pergolesi)

So, feel free to add your thoughts, recommendations, listening experiences, etc. on this outstanding composer. He deserves it.

Thank you :tiphat:


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## Aramis

Awesome geezer. I ventured into his lesser known sacred music and it's worth it. Not really baroque as most would mean it, many of his works gravitate towards classical period. For me it's large positive. There's also very worthwhile CD of his opera arias by Daniella Barcellona.


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## Ingélou

On YouTube in early 2021

Stabat Mater (Nathalie Stutzmann/ Philippe Jaroussky)





Pergolesi ~ Violin Concerto (Pina Carmirelli & I Musici) Beautiful Classical Music:





Magnificat in C major:





Masterworks (inc. Stabat Mater, Orfeo, and La Serva Padrona):





Sinfonias:





How terribly sad, that he died of TB aged only 26. But what a legacy. :angel:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_Battista_Pergolesi


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## RICK RIEKERT

GioCar said:


> His Stabat Mater is one of the most famous sacred music piece ever...


Pergolesi had a bleak perception of his own work. Referring to his great Stabat Mater he wrote, "Me l'hanno pagato dieci ducati, mentre non vale dieci bajocchi" (They paid me ten ducati [$200] for [the Stabat Mater] even though it's not worth ten bajocchi [$2].

As if to confirm his low opinion of his work, upon his death in 1736 in a Capuchin Monastery in Pozzuoli, near Naples, Pergolesi's body was buried in the common pit next to the cathedral. While this type of burial was the norm for a commoner at this time, it goes to show that that the composer died without honors, in remarkable contrast with the posthumous fame which, from Rousseau in 1752 onward, propelled Pergolesi into the Olympus of musical genius.


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## Ingélou

RICK RIEKERT said:


> Pergolesi had a bleak perception of his own work. Referring to his great Stabat Mater he wrote, "Me l'hanno pagato dieci ducati, mentre non vale dieci bajocchi" (They paid me ten ducati [$200] for [the Stabat Mater] even though it's not worth ten bajocchi [$2].
> 
> As if to confirm his low opinion of his work, upon his death in 1736 in a Capuchin Monastery in Pozzuoli, near Naples, Pergolesi's body was buried in the common pit next to the cathedral. While this type of burial was the norm for a commoner at this time, it goes to show that that the composer died without honors, in remarkable contrast with the posthumous fame which, from Rousseau in 1752 onward, propelled Pergolesi into the Olympus of musical genius.


I hope he was being modest and believed in himself more than he cared to admit - or at least, that he felt some joy in his composing. It's beautiful music, and amazing being written by one so young.


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## RICK RIEKERT

Bach's decision to arrange Pergolesi's Stabat Mater as a German version of Psalm 51 (Tilge, Höchster, meine Sünden, BWV 1083) suitable for use in the Lutheran Church is a deliberate homage to the Italian composer and his masterpiece.

Bach's interest in Italian music is a red thread found throughout his compositional career. Since there was no immediately observable reason for transcribing Pergolesi's Stabat Mater, Bach was not prompted to do so by compelling liturgical need or by lack of suitable works of his own, it seems safe to say that he arranged the work because he felt an affinity with it, appreciated it and wanted it performed within his own Lutheran context.


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