Paolo Giorza (11 November 1832 – 4 March 1914) was an Italian-Australian composer of classical music and Romantic music.
He was born in Milan, son of Luigi Giorza, a painter and singer. His father prompted his musical interest. He is revered in Milan, where he wrote the song "" in 1858, performed at the Milan Carcano Theatre. The song became symbolic of Italian culture.
During his lifetime, he produced and wrote many scores including various waltzes. Giorza travelled much of the world working in Venice, Vienna, London and Paris. In the late 1860s he worked in America, directing the orchestra at the Academy of Music in New York City. He composed the music for the cancan dance, introduced to America by his friend and fellow Milanese artist, ballerina Giuseppina Morlacchi. In 1871 he went to Australia where he succeeded as a composer. In 1884, he became unwell and returned to Europe and success at La Scala. He died on 4 May 1914.
Works
Ballets (Incomplete list)
Un Fallo, 1853, Teatro alla Scala, Milan (Composed jointly with A. Buzzi. Choreography by G. Rota)
I Bianchi ei Negri, 1853, Teatro alla Scala, Milan (Choreography by G. Rota)
Il Giocatore, 1853, Teatro alla Canobbiana, Milan (Composed jointly with G. Bajetti and L. Madoglio. Choreography by G. Rota) Shakespeare Ovvero Il Sogno di una notte d´estate, 1855, Teatro alla Scala, Milan (Composed jointly with C. Dall’Argine. Choreography by G. Casati) Delia, 1855, Teatro La Fenice, Venice (Choreography by G. Rota) La Giocoliera, 1855, Teatro La Fenice, Venice (Choreography by P. Borri) Lucilla, 1856, Teatro La Fenice, Venice (Some music was adapted from ballets by C. Pugni. Choreography by P. Borri) Tutti Coreografi, 1856, Teatro alla Canobbiana, Milan (Choreography by G. Rota) Il Conte di Montecristo, 1856, Teatro La Fenice, Venice (Choreography by G. Rota) Gabriella, 1857, Teatro Comunale, Bologna (Choreography by P. Borri) 1812 ovvero Carlo il Guastatore, 1857 (Choreography by G. Rota) Madamigella di Lavallière, 1857, Teatro La Fenice, Venice (Choreography by E. Viotti) Rodolfo di Gerolstein, 1858, Teatro alla Scala, Milan (Choreography by P. Borri) Cleopatra, 1858, Teatro alla Scala, Milan (Choreography by G. Rota) L'Ultimo Abencerragio, 1858, Teatro Riccardi, Bergamo (Choreography by L. Bretin) Irene, 1859, Teatro Regio, Turin (Choreography by G. Rota) Un´Avventura di Carnevale, 1859, Teatro alla Scala, Milan (Choreography by P. Borri) Lo Spirito Maligno, 1860, Teatro Regio, Parma (Choreography by G. Rota) Cherubina o La Sposa di Posillipo, 1860, Teatro Regio, Parma (Choreography by L. Viena) Pedrilla, 1861, Teatro Regio, Parma (Choreography by L. Viena) La Contessa d´Egmont, 1861, Teatro alla Scala, Milan (Choreography by G. Rota) Fiammella, 1862, Teatro Regio, Turin (Choreography by P. Borri) Cristoforo Colombo, 1862, Teatro Carlo Felice, Genoa (Choreography by H. Monplaisir) Il Vampiro, 1863, Teatro Regio, Turin (Choreography by G. Rota) Emma, 1864, Teatro Regio, Turin (Choreography by G. Rota) La Maschera o Le Notti di Venezia, 1864, Salle Le Peletier, Paris (Choreography by G. Rota) Salammbò, 1864, Teatro Regio, Turin (Choreography by L. Viena) Leonilda ovvero La Sposa del Filibustiere, 1865, Teatro alla Scala, Milan (Choreography by P. Taglioni) Idea, 1867, Teatro Regio, Turin (Choreography by P. Borri) La Fata Nix, 1871, Teatro La Fenice, Venice (Composed jointly with E. Bernardi, G. Rosari, and L. Angeli. Choreography by L. Danesi) Bacco e Arianna, 1876, Teatro La Fenice, Venice (Composed jointly with G. A. Scaramelli, Amadei Zesckevich, and Andrea Zesckevich. Choreography by L. Danesi) Rodope, 1884, Teatro Regio, Turin (Choreography by R. Grassi)
Dance music (Incomplete list)
Miss Ella - valzer, Op. 25 Mercallo - schottisch Porto-Porto - polka Orginale - polka Souvenir de la Jeunesse - valzer Perlina - schottisch I Fuochi d'Artificio del Castel S. Giorgio - polka Cavour - polka Eugénie - valzer Magenta e San Martino - quadriglia La Stella Cometa - mazurka I Bersaglieri Piemontesi - galop I Milanes - quadriglia Zarina - mazurka Costanza - schottisch Garibaldi - polka Ciuf-ciuf - schottisch Polka Populare - veneziana Cerisette - polka Un Déjeuner- polka A Palermo - galop I Colli Bolognesi - valzer Mao - polka Cialdini - polka Caprera - valzer Anita - valzer Cavalleria Nazionale Bolognese - galop Milazzo - quadriglia Un Sospiro a Venezia - mazurka Gli Ultimi Strepiti del Carnevale a Bologna - polka Laura - schottisch Scherzo - polka Amarilli - valzer Un Bacio - valzer Cardellino - polka Una Carezza - mazurka Funerali e Danze - valzer Ermelinda - schottisch Silfide - galop Gioie d’Amore - valzer Il Piacere - quadriglia Un Saluto a Firenze - valzer Un mio Segreto - polka
Olympia Valse 1862 Ondina Polka, Op. 116 Blumen aus Italien, Op. 217 1871 Trickett Galop (celebrating Edward Trickett, a champion Australian rower) 1877 Giulia Valse 1879 The Old Corporal Quadrille, dedicated to Eduardo Majeroni 1883 Adieu Waltz (for his departure from Australia) 1877 The Geelong Skating Rink Galop 1890 Cardellino Polka, Op. 123 Land of the Sunny South, All Hail, an Australian National anthem Scottisch, Op. 117 1882 The Bay of Sydney Waltz (La Baja di Sydney Valse)
Operas
Corrado Console di Milano, 1860, Teatro alla Scala, Milan (Libretto by L. Gualtieri) Alba Barozzi, 1884, sources are not in agreement to if it was ever performed (Libretto by
Religious music (Incomplete list)
1879 Sydney Exhibition Cantata, with words by Henry Kendall 1870 Messe Solennelle No.3Original publication lists 1870 as composition date. See IMSLP https://imslp.org/wiki/Messe_Solennelle_No.3_(Giorza%2C_Paolo)
Recordings Belles of Australia Waltz (Sydney Conservatorium) The Trickett Galop 2013 Regina Coeli (Choir of St Magnus-the-Martyr) 2015 Inexplicable Splendour (Choir of St Magnus-the-Martyr)
Scores
Students Giorza taught Australian composer Maude FitzStubbs (Mrs Harry Woods) while in Australia
References