Giacomo Durazzo
Encyclopedia
Count Giacomo Durazzo was an Italian diplomat
and man of the theatre. He was born into one of the most important aristocratic families in Genoa
. His brother was the famous doge
Marcellino Durazzo. In 1749, he became ambassador to the court in Vienna
where he was appointed director of the imperial theatres in the city in 1754. He is most famous for working with the composer Christoph Willibald Gluck
on reforming Italian opera
.
In 1750, he married the eighteen-year-old Ernestine Aloisia Ungnad von Weissenwolff.
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
and man of the theatre. He was born into one of the most important aristocratic families in Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
. His brother was the famous doge
Doge of Genoa
The Republic of Genoa, in what is now northern Italy, was technically a communal republic in the early Middle Ages, although it was actually an oligarchy ruled by a small group of merchant families, from whom were selected the Doges of Genoa.- History :...
Marcellino Durazzo. In 1749, he became ambassador to the court in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
where he was appointed director of the imperial theatres in the city in 1754. He is most famous for working with the composer Christoph Willibald Gluck
Christoph Willibald Gluck
Christoph Willibald Ritter von Gluck was an opera composer of the early classical period. After many years at the Habsburg court at Vienna, Gluck brought about the practical reform of opera's dramaturgical practices that many intellectuals had been campaigning for over the years...
on reforming Italian opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
.
In 1750, he married the eighteen-year-old Ernestine Aloisia Ungnad von Weissenwolff.