1706–1761 · Baroque
Carlo Cecere (1706-1761) was an Italian composer and instrumentalist from the Kingdom of Naples. He wrote operas, concertos and chamber pieces, among them concertos for flute and for mandolin. His music dates from the years when the Baroque gave way to the Classical style.
Carlo Cecere was born on 7 November 1706 in Grottole (Basilicata), which was then part of the Kingdom of Naples. He was the son of Domenico and Antonia Cangiano. The composer died in Naples on 15 February 1761.
Cecere's life is poorly documented for an 18th-century figure, and it is not even established which instrument he favoured.
Cecere is described both as a violinist and as a flautist. He certainly played the violin at the Carmine monastery in Naples. Other writers think the flute was his main instrument.
One composer who wrote about him regarded Cecere as a good violinist and rated his skill in counterpoint highly. Another concluded, from the music that survives, that he was an excellent flautist.
Cecere is known above all for the comic opera buffa "La tavernola abentorosa", with a libretto by Pietro Trinchera. He composed music for at least two of Trinchera's librettos. This work was the earliest comic opera created expressly for a monastic audience.
This carnival entertainment was written not for the general public but for a monastic audience, which was typical of Naples at the time. The opera was performed in February 1741 in the circles of Monteoliveto and SS Demetrio e Bonifacio.
In the plot, a hypocritical swindler disguised as a monk deceives some simple Neapolitans and in the end turns them all to monastic life. The opera portrayed both the church and the ruling authority without respect.
A church dignitary was not amused by the performance, and the king ordered the poet and the publisher to be arrested and the libretto to be censored.
Cecere's reputation did not suffer in instrumental music. His works are typical of Italian chamber music of 1740–1760. He worked at the point of transition between the Baroque and Classical eras and wrote operas, concertos and instrumental duets, including some for mandolin.
The thematic material of his works is built up like a mosaic from frequent repetitions and sequences, and his harmonic language is rather narrow.
Cecere's legacy includes operas, concertos and instrumental duets. Each of his concertos for flute has five movements, while the double concerto for two flutes and bass has three movements in binary form without repeats. There is also a concerto for mandolin.
Cecere's music can also be heard on recordings. The Flute Concerto in A major was recorded in 1991 by Jean-Pierre Rampal together with I Solisti Veneti. The Mandolin Concerto was recorded in 1999 by Dorina Frati together with the Symphonia Perusina.
Among the sheet music on the site is the edition "Concerto di Mandolino con Violini, e Basso (Gimo 60)", for trio, at the level "Elementary+". It is a place to start getting to know Cecere's music.