Abstract
Despite all of the previous research done on Antonio Pasculli, misunderstandings, confusions, and mysteries about his life and works persist. In this article, I connect some of the dots and share some of the realities that I uncovered during my doctoral research. We all know Pasculli as the "Paganini of the oboe", but this phrase - though popular (there were also Paganini's of the flute, cello, double bass, paintbrush) - appears in no contemporary descriptions of him. Was Pasculli as exceptional a performer as we like to think? How did he compose his music, and did audiences actually like his performances and compositions? How do they compare to other woodwind works of the time? What were the eulogies like after his death, and how did his monument get to be upside down in the entryway of the Palermo Conservatory library? And what does any of this mean for us today?
| Original language | American English |
|---|---|
| Journal | The Double Reed |
| Volume | 43 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| State | Published - Jul 2020 |
Keywords
- Italy
- Paganini
- Pasculli
- fantasia
- nineteenth century
- oboe
- opera
- virtuosity
- woodwind
EGS Disciplines
- Music
- Musicology
- Music Performance