Francesco Gasparini (19 March 1661 – 22 March 1727).

Gasparini was an Italian Baroque composer and teacher whose works were performed throughout Italy, Germany and England.

Born in Camaiore, near Lucca, Gasparini studied in Rome with Arcangelo Corelli and Bernardo Pasquini. 



His first important opera, Roderico (1694), was produced in Rome. 



In 1702 he went to Venice and became one of the leading composers in the city. 

He was musical director of 'The Ospedale della Pietà', the convent orphanage and music school in Venice. There he employed Antonio Vivaldi as a violin master.

He wrote his opera, Amulet in 1705 loosely based on the story of Hamlet. This was first performed at Teatro San Cassiano in Venice for the carnival in 1706. It went on to be performed in Naples (Napoli) and London.



Gasparini was also a teacher and instructor of Benedetto Marcello, Johann Joachim Quantz and Domenico Scarlatti.

In 1720 he returned to Rome for his last important work, Tigrane (1724).

He died in Rome in 1727.

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Lasciar d’amarti by Francesco Gasparini

Text

Lasciar d'amarti
per non penar,
caro mio bene,
non si può far,
a forza di pene,
di strali e catene,
non voglio lasciarti;
ti voglio adorar.

English translation

Letting go of my love for you
so as not to suffer,
my dear good one,
can't be done,
because of the pain,
of arrows and chains.
I don't want to leave you;
I want to adore you.

International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) pronunciation of the German text.

laʃˈar damˈartɪ
pˈer nˈon penˈar,
kˈaro mˈio bˈɛne,
nˈon sˈi pʊˈɔ fˈar,
ˈaː fˈɔrt͡sa dˈi pˈɛne,
dˈi strˈalɪ ˈeː katˈene,
nˈon vˈoʎo laʃˈartɪ;
tˈi vˈoʎo adorˈar.