Giacomo Cordella

Cordella studied in Naples with Fedele Fenaroli and Giovanni Paisiello. In 1804 he composed his first work, a cantata entitled La Vittoria dell'Arca contro Gerico. With the help of Paisiello in 1805 he had the possibility to produce in Venice his first opera, Il ciarlatano, which was appreciated for its comic verve and then performed in other cities in northern Italy, including Milan, Turin and Padua. Cordella continued his activity mainly in Naples, where he was appreciated for his opere buffe, while his few opere serie met with failures. His greatest success was Una follia, first performed in 1813, an opera buffa featuring "a vivacious plot and a melody that flows agreeably". Cordella composed also sacred music.

• Title — Genre — |Sub­divisions — Libretto — Première date — Theatre • ciarlatanoIl ciarlatano, ossia I finti savoiardi — farsa giocosa — 1 act — buonavogliaLuigi Buonavoglia — 11 February 1805 — Venice, Teatro San Moisè • albergatriceL'albergatrice scaltra — 27 June 1807 — Naples, Teatro San Carlo • Annibale in Capua — dramma per musica — 2 acts — sografiAntonio Simeone Sografi (attribution uncertain) — 21 October 1809 — Naples, Teatro San Carlo • isolaL'isola incantata — farsa — 1 act — Summer 1809 — Naples, Teatro Nuovo • folliaUna follia — commedia per musica — 2 acts — tottolaAndrea Leone Tottola — 1813 — Naples, Teatro dei Fiorentini • avaroL'avaro — commedia per musica — 2 acts — palombaGiuseppe Palomba — Autumn 1814 — Naples, Teatro dei Fiorentini • azzardoL'azzardo fortunato — commedia per musica — 1 act — tottolaAndrea Leone Tottola — Carnival 1815 — Naples, Teatro dei Fiorentini • rappresagliaLa rappresaglia, ovvero Amore alla prova — sterbiniCesare Sterbini — 26 December 1818 — Rome, Teatro Valle • contraccambioIl contraccambio — dramma giocoso — 2 acts — sterbiniCesare Sterbini — Carnival 1819 — Rome, Teatro Valle • scaltroLo scaltro millantatore — commedia per musica — 2 acts — palombaGiuseppe Palomba — 16 July 1819 — Naples, Teatro Nuovo • sposoLo sposo di provincia — commedia per musica — 2 acts — schmidtGiovanni Schmidt — 29 September 1821 — Rome, Teatro Argentina • castelloIl castello degli invalidi — farsa — 1 act — 1823 — Naples, Teatro Nuovo • freneticoIl frenetico per amore — melodramma — 2 acts — Autumn 1824 — Naples, Teatro Nuovo • Alcibiade — azione eroica — 2 acts — prividaliLuigi Prividali — 26 December 1824 — Venice, Teatro La Fenice • avventurieriGli avventurieri — melodramma giocoso — 2 acts — romaniFelice Romani — 6 September 1825 — Milan, Teatro della Canobbiana • bellaLa bella prigioniera — opera buffa — 2 acts — 1826 — Naples, Teatro del Fondo • maritoIl marito disperato — commedia giocosa per musica — 2 acts — passaroAndrea Passaro, after a comedy with the same title by Giovanni Battista Lorenzi — Lent 1833 — Naples, Teatro del Fondo • I due furbi — commedia per musica — 2 acts — palombaGiuseppe Palomba, revision by Andrea Passaro — 16 July 1835 — Naples, Teatro Nuovo • Matilde di Lanchefort — melodramma storico — 2 acts — passaroAndrea Passaro — Spring 1838 — Naples, Teatro del Fondo • abitatorL'abitator delle rupi • nozzeLe nozze campestri — dramma per musica — 1 act — schmidtGiovanni Schmidt — 30 May 1840 — Naples, Teatro San Carlo

• La vittoria dell'Arca contro Gerico, cantata, Naples, 1804 • Manfredi trovatore, cantata, Naples, Teatro San Carlo, 6 July 1836 (in collaboration with other composers) • Il dono a Partenope, cantata, libretto by Giovanni Schmidt, Naples, Teatro San Carlo, 30 May 1840 (in collaboration with other composers) Cordella composed many other works, including masses, motets and works for small ensembles.