Born On This Day – Amilcare Ponchielli (August 31, 1834)
Classical Uncategorized
Amilcare Ponchielli was an important nineteenth century Italian composer, primarily of operas. He is best known for his 1876 La Gioconda, though he wrote other significant operas, as well as ballets, orchestral, chamber music, and various vocal works. He was a rare example of a meek, but immensely talented, artist, whose backward nature sabotaged his career in certain respects. He had a vivid imagination, an uncanny ability to express varied situations and emotions, and superior orchestrational skills.
