PICCINNI, pet-che'ne, Niccolo, Italian musical composer: b. Bari, Italy, 16 Jan. 1728; d. Passy, near Paris, France, 7 May 1800. He studied at the Conservatory of San Onofrio at Naples and began to compose comic and serious operas, chiefly for the stages of Rome and Naples, with such success that for many years he was without a rival in Italy. In 1776 he ac cepted an invitation from the French court and went to Paris. There he brought out the 'Roland of Quinault' (1778), which, notwith standing the opposition of Gluck (q.v.) and his friends, was successful. Although Gluck and Piccinni were personally reconciled, yet the war between their respective admirers continued and in order to compare their merits, the two rivals composed the same subject, 'Iphigenia in Tauris); in this contest Gluck had the advan tage. Piccinni was appointed teacher of vocal music in the Royal Singing School in 1784, but the Revolution deprived him of appoint ments and he returned to Naples. At first he was well received by the king, who granted him a pension. But before long he was, though without cause, suspected to hold revolutionary views. He was deprived of his pension and finally, though not actually sent to jail, re strained under arrest at his own house. In 1798, however, friends succeeded in gaining him permission to return to Paris. Though he was received there with much kindness and was granted a small pension, the irregular pay ment of the latter caused him frequent and serious financial embarrassment. His health,
too, failed and he died in his 73d year as the result of a stroke of paralysis at Passy where he had gone in the hope to recover his health. His great success is now difficult to understand. He was very conservative, possessed little orig inality, but withal was an accomplished and scholarly composer of pleasing music, which was always quite correct. He was a very prolific worker and in the period of 40 years, from 1754-94, he composed 139 operatic works. His native town has honored his memory by erecting a statue in one of its most prominent streets. Consult Cametti, A., 'Saggio Cronolog ico (1754-94) delle Opere Teatrali di Niccolo Piccinni' (in 'Rivista Musicale Italian,' Vol. VIII, pp. 75-100) ; Ginguene, P. L.,