The Sun.
London, England, 1810-10-25 00:00:00

CIMAROSA.

A comic Opera-undo the title of Ciman-da hiv-
ing been brought out `at the Parisian Opera, the
Fiend) papers hare availed themselves of the op-
portunity to foreish some aCcotIA of that c,lebrated
compo,er. The particularS ate .contained in a letter
troth wi intimate acquaint atice of his, ,who resided
long 'with hint at Naples, and seeaks (rum personal
kno a le !ge.
Domenico Cimarosa was the son of a shoemaker
at Naples. His father had'desiined him to belt baker. •
The then prevailing cu,tom in that city was, for
theinhabitants.to knead their own bread,, yet they
were not allowed to bake it themselves, but Isere
obliged to send it tO one ut the parochial ovens be-
aiging to tae privileged company of city bakers.
—Aucotdingly, young Cimarosa was placed with
one of these,.. where his emplo)ment was that W-
ielding in- the bread 1u ended to be baked in his
master's oven. The celebrated singer Aprilo, was
one of his customers. •He belonged to that class-
of singers, which the courel of dilettanti' has de-
nominated nutsici ; and had carried his art to that
'extent as almost degenerated into abuse.—Young
Cimarosa, in whom the taste tor music began to
shew itselt, had ob,erved the time when Aprilo usu-
'ally exercised his vocal talents, accompanied by the
epinette (a small piano, or hiipschord, placed on a
table) and this was the 'time he fixed on to le!ch
Aprilo's bread. On such occasions, secreting him-
self in a corner of a passage adjoining the apartmait
of the singer, he attentively. listened to this chanting
virtuoso, during the whole time of his practice ; and
in some measure forgot the errand he was sent on.
Aprilo .having for a pupil a young girl named La Te-
resina, about eight years of age, whose rising mu-
sical talents he admired, and therefore wished to cul-
tivate, our young hero was so much fascinated with
her lesson one day, that he totally forgot his busi-
ness. Teresina, on quitting her mastet's apartment,
had more than once surprised the youth, lost, as' it
were, in a musical teverie ; and by herinterrogations,
had prevailed on him to acknowledge his irresistible
infatuation by that Scietece which he was afterwards
to exercise with so much celebrity. As he was a
young man of good appearan; e, the yoUng lass often
indulged herself in prattle with him. She ques-
tioned him, Why are you so continually coeceal-
tog yourself in this dark hole ? Because I listen
a I.h t.xiacy. Are you so fond of music ? 'I love it
etttl usiastically. Do you under Stand music? No,
my father is not rich enough to indulge me with a,
master. Do you think he would let you come to one
of our Conservatories, if you had tree admission ?
Powerful friends are necessary Mr that; we-have
none such. But supposing my master, Sgniur
Aprilo, should procure your admission ) Ah, that
would complete toy happiness. Could I but become
a teacher of music I could I in my turn but compo--e
such beautifulpieces of musit as those which I never
hear without feeling the greatest enthusiasm and
emotion 1 No, I shall never enjoy such happinessii:.
Have you a good voice ? Do you sing? Some-
times. I suppose you would be very well satisfied,
continued Teresina, with simplicity, if could sing
as well as Aprilo. I wish I could replied Citnaro,a,
gazing at her with the eyes of a young man of se-
venteen
; then with a cL,wtieast look, continuing, I
wish I could sing as well as lie, but not exactly like
him. Teresina, was too young to observe this chs-
tintStion ; but she reported this conversation to her
master, who ordered Cimarosa to be admitted to him
the next time he came to fetch the bread; which di-
rection his little proteCiress did not fail, to see. duly
executed. Atter Aprilo had inquired respecting his
family, his means of subsistence, and his fondness.
for music and singing, he wished to make a trial of
his voice. Ciroarosa, who, by means of a relative
had often visited the theatre of Florentine where
Operas are performed in the dialect which is cora-
-1 monly spoken at Naples, and where' this relation of

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