French family of musicians. The family name was originally Danican (possibly a corruption of ‘Duncan’), and according to La Borde the name ‘Philidor’ derives from the family’s earliest known musician, Michel Danican, whose oboe playing supposedly inspired in Louis XIII a comparison with the Italian oboist Filidori. It seems likely that the musician who pleased Louis XIII was the father of another Michel Danican (b Dauphiné, c1610; d ?Bordeaux, Aug 1659) and of Jean Danican (b ?Dauphiné, c1610; d Paris, Sept 8, 1679), the first member of the family whose name appears in documents as ‘Danican dit Filidor’. By 1645 Jean was in the royal service as oboist in the musketeers, and both he and Michel (ii) were employed in the Grande Ecurie, the branch of the royal musical establishment that supported military and other outdoor performances, Michel by 1651 as a member of the Cromornes et Trompettes Marines, and Jean around ...
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Philidor [Filidor] family
Rebecca Harris-Warrick and Julian Rushton
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Sigismondo, Giuseppe
Dennis Libby
(b Naples, Sept 13, 1739; d Naples, May 10, 1826). Italian librarian, historian and composer. He studied law and also had lessons in singing, figured bass and counterpoint, including some from Durante and later (1761–7) Porpora. He graduated in law in 1759, but continued to devote much of his time to acting ‘all'improvviso’ in an amateur theatrical company for which he wrote many comedies, some of which were published. He was also active as an amateur composer. The Naples Conservatory library has much of his music in autograph, including two stage works (1765, 1783), four masses and other sacred works, two oratorios (1765, 1768), 20 sacred and secular cantatas and organ and harpsichord pieces. He was a highly regarded singing teacher in Neapolitan society; four sets of solfeggios by him – one dated 1824 – are in the Naples library (others in I-Baf and ...
