Alberto Randegger

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Alberto Randegger (April 13, 1832 - December 18, 1911) was an Italian-born composer and conductor best known for promoting opera in England.

[edit] Life and career

Randegger was born in Trieste, Italy, where he met Giuseppe Verdi in 1850, and later became known as a great interpreter of Verdi's operas. He was a pupil of Lafont in piano and of Luigi Ricci in composition and, with two other young composers, produced two ballets and an opera, Il Lazzarone, in 1852. In 1854 he produced his opera Bianca Capello at Brescia.

Randegger began work in London as an organist at St. Paul's in Regent's Park from his arrival in London, in 1854, until 1879. Beginning in 1857 he conducted Italian opera at the St. James's Theatre, Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, and later at the Royal Opera House. He also became well known as a teacher of singing in London, teaching at the Royal College of Music. In 1868 he was appointed professor of singing at the Royal Academy of Music.

As a composer, in addition to his early works, Randegger wrote a comic opera, The Rival Beauties (1864); a musical play with dramatist W. S. Gilbert, Creatures of Impulse (1871); a dramatic cantata, Fridolin (1873); two scenes for soprano and orchestra, Medea (1869) and Sappho (1875); the 150th Psalm for soprano solo, choir, orchestra, and organ; Funeral Anthem, in memory of the Prince Consort; and numerous other vocal pieces.

Randegger served as musical director of the Carl Rosa Opera Company from 1879 to 1885, helping to revive interest in opera in England. In 1880, Sir George Grove wrote: "The careful way in which the pieces are put on the stage, the number of rehearsals, the eminence of the performers and the excellence of the performers have begun to bear their legitimate fruit, and the Carl Rosa Opera Company bids fair to become a permanent English institution."[1] Upon the resignation of Julius Benedict in 1881, he also became conductor of the Norwich Musical Festival, which he directed until 1905. Randegger's most important legacy, outside of his conducting, was a textbook entitled Singing, published in 1879 by Novello, which is still used.

In 1882, Randegger was elected an honorary member of the Royal Philharmonic Society. He was married to actress Adeline de Leuw, who later married Hayden Coffin, and died in London.