Ferdinando Paer

Ferdinando Paer (1 June 1771 – 3 May 1839) was an Italian composer known for his operas. He was of Austrian descent and used the German spelling Pär in application for printing in Venice, and later in France the spelling Paër. Life He was born in Parma into a family of Austrian descent. He came from a musical family. His grandfather Michael Pär was a regimental band member from Peterwardein (today Petrovaradin, part of Novi Sad). His father Giulio Paer was a trumpeter with the Ducal Bodyguards and also performed at church and court events; his mother was Francesca Cutica. He was named Ferdinando after Duke Ferdinand of Parma by Archduchess Maria Amalia of Austria, Duke Ferdinand’s wife. He studied music theory under the violinist Gasparo Ghiretti, a pupil of the Conservatorio della Pietà de’ Turchini in Naples. Career His first stage work, Orphée et Euridice, premiered in 1791 and helped begin a fruitful career of composing for the young composer. His first Italian opera, Circe, was given during the Carnival of Venice in 1792; others rapidly followed, and his name was soon famous throughout Italy. At the age of 20, he became choirmaster in Venice. In 1802 he was appointed composer