Talk:Nicolo Grimaldi

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It's difficult to find out more about Nicolini. Is this any better? Nicolo Grimaldi (b Naples, baptised 5 April 1673; died Naples, 1 Jan 1732), was an Italian mezzo-soprano castrato who is best remembered for his association with the composer George Frideric Handel, whose operas the castrato sung in. Grimaldi was usually known by his stage name of Nicolini.

Nicolini made his operatic début in 1685 at Naples, and during the 1690s extant libretti identify him as virtuoso to the Royal Chapel there. of more than a hundred productions in which he took part, thirty-six were in Naples, thirty-four in Venice, and fifteen in London, where he first sang in 1708. His fine singing and critically-renowned acting were crucial to the early success of Italian opera(more specifically, opera seria) in England. His first role in London was Pirro in Pirro e Demetrio by Alessandro Scarlatti, in which the Tatler reported that 'every limb and every finger' contributed to 'the grace and propriety of his action and gesture'. In 1711 he created the title role in Handel's Rinaldo, a work whose great success was instrumental in establishing Handel's reputation in England. He also created the title role in Handel's Amadigi in 1715 and continued to sing in London, usually in various pasticcios, until 1717. The eighteenth-century musicologist Charles Burney described Nicolini as "this great singer, and still greater actor", while Joseph Addison labelled him "the greatest performer in dramatic Music that is now living or that perhaps ever appeared on a stage". His Handel roles reveal that he possessed exceptional vocal agility and virtuosity. other composers who wrote major roles for him included Provenzale (who was his teacher), Pollarolo, Ariosti, Lotti, Giovanni and Antonio Maria Bononcini, Caldara, Albinoni, Porpora, Leo, Riccardo Broschi and Hasse. In 1727-1730 he performed with Farinelli, and was rehearsing Giovanni Battista Pergolesi's first opera, Salustia at Naples, when he became ill and died.

--voxclamans 18:27, 18 February 2007 (UTC)

I've incorporated the stuff here that wasn't in the article into the article. How's that? Cheers, Moreschi ^{Request a recording?} 21:22, 18 February 2007 (UTC)

Fine, of course. I've added an image, and ventured to change a few bits of wording. Hope that's OK. his first name was Nicola and not Nicolo, so how does one change that in the title?--voxclamans 09:48, 20 February 2007 (UTC)

Yep, looks good. Thanks for uploading the picture. Re the name: Grove is giving me both Nicolo and Nicola, oddly enough. If the most common name is Nicola than I'll move the page to Nicola Grimaldi, but if the more common name is Nicolo it should stay here. Which is more common? Which is more accurate? Is Nicolo a modernization? I'm somewhat confused, but page-moves are easy to do whichever is best. I suppose we have to pick the name which complies with Wikipedia:Naming conventions, which you might like to peruse. Cheers, Moreschi ^{Request a recording?} 10:56, 20 February 2007 (UTC)