Leonardo Leo (1694 – 1744), more correctly Lionardo
Oronzo Salvatore de Leo, was a Neapolitan Baroque
composer. Leo was born in San Vito degli Schiavoni
(current San Vito dei Normanni, province of Brindisi)
in the Apulia region, then part of the Kingdom of
Naples.
He became a student at the Conservatorio della Pietà
dei Turchini at Naples in 1703, and was a pupil first
of Francesco Provenzale and later of Nicola Fago. It
has been supposed that he was a pupil of Pitoni and
Alessandro ...(+)
Leonardo Leo (1694 – 1744), more correctly Lionardo
Oronzo Salvatore de Leo, was a Neapolitan Baroque
composer. Leo was born in San Vito degli Schiavoni
(current San Vito dei Normanni, province of Brindisi)
in the Apulia region, then part of the Kingdom of
Naples.
He became a student at the Conservatorio della Pietà
dei Turchini at Naples in 1703, and was a pupil first
of Francesco Provenzale and later of Nicola Fago. It
has been supposed that he was a pupil of Pitoni and
Alessandro Scarlatti, but he could not possibly have
studied with either of these composers, although he was
undoubtedly influenced by their compositions. His
earliest known work was a sacred drama, L'infedelta
abbattuta, performed by his fellow-students in
1712.
In 1714 he produced, at the court theatre, an opera,
Pisistrato, which was much admired. He held various
posts at the royal chapel, and continued to write for
the stage, besides teaching at the conservatory. After
adding comic scenes to Francesco Gasparini's Bajazette
in 1722 for performance at Naples, he composed comic
operas in Neapolitan such as La'mpeca scoperta in 1723,
and L'Alidoro in 1740.
His most famous comic opera was Amor vuol sofferenza
(1739), better known as La Finta Frascatana, highly
praised by De Brosses. He was equally distinguished as
a composer of serious opera, Demofoonte (1735), Farnace
(1737) and L'Olimpiade (1737) being his most famous
works in this branch, and is still better known as a
composer of sacred music. He died of a stroke while
engaged in the composition of new arias for a revival
of La Finta Frascatana.
Leo was the first of the Neapolitan school to obtain a
complete mastery over modern harmonic counterpoint. His
sacred music is masterly and dignified, logical rather
than passionate, and free from the sentimentality which
is present in the work of Francesco Durante and
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi. His serious operas suffer
from a coldness and severity of style, but in his comic
operas he shows a keen sense of humour. His ensemble
movements are spirited, but never worked up to a strong
climax.
A fine and characteristic example of his sacred music
is the Dixit Dominus in C, edited by CV Stanford and
published by Novello. A number of songs from operas are
accessible in modern editions. .
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonardo_Leo).
Although originally created for Harpsichord or Organ, I
created this Transcription of the Allegro in G Minor
(No. 2) from 14 Toccate per Cembalo for Piano.
PARTITION