Giuseppe Carpani
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Giuseppe Carpani (28 January 1752–22 January 1825) was an Italian poet and writer born at Villalbese, in the district of Brianza.
His father wanted him to study law, which he did in Milan and Padua, but after practicing briefly in Milan, he instead followed artistic pursuits. He had already by that time written a comedy and several opera libretti.
In 1796, Milan was occupied by the French, of which he had been critical, and he moved to Vienna. However, after the Treaty of Campo Formio in 1797, he became censor and stage director in Venice. Eventually, health issues prompted him to return to Vienna, where the Emperor pensioned him until his death.
He published a number of translations of French and German operas, and also wrote an oratorio on "La passione di Gesù Christo," which was set to music by Karl Weigl, and performed in 1808, in the palace of Prince Lobkowitz, and in 1821 by the Gesellschaft der Musik-Freunde. He also translated Haydn's The Creation into Italian, and wrote a sonnet on the celebrated performance of that work, at which Haydn was present the year before his death.
Carpani was a great fan of Haydn, and published a book about him and his compositions entitled La Haydine. He wrote a similar book about Rossini, called "Le Rossiniane". Both were pirated anonymously by the French writer Beyle, and published by Mondo.
In 1808, composers were invited to set his poem "In questa tomba oscura." Of the 63 composers who did so, only Beethoven created a setting that is still popular today.
He died of natural causes in the smaller Liechtenstein Palace at Vienna on January 22, 1825, at the age of 73.
