Madame du Bocage, Letters concerning England, Holland and Italy

Madame du Bocage suggests that Landini is the best Italian improviser of poetry, and wonders if poetic improvisation is possible in French.

Performer Name:
Landini
Performance Venue:
Venice
Performance Date:
1757
Author:
Bocage, Madame du
Date Written:
1757
Language:
English
Publication Title:
Letters concerning England, Holland and Italy
Article Title:
 
Page Numbers:
1:145
Additional Info:
 
Publisher:
Dilly
Place of Publication:
London
Date Published:
1770

Text:

M. Landini . . . who has the greatest talent at singing Italian poems by heart,* of any man in that country, where it is commoner than in any other, took his Mandoline, and in a recitative but little varied, sung according to their custom several verses, some of which were very good, upon any subject that was proposed. This talent, of which we have no idea, astonishes us: I do not know whether our language is susceptible of it; the Italian tongue is more copious, and admits of greater liberties.

* This the Italians call improvisare.

Notes:

Translated from French; translator not named

Collected by:
AE