NOVARA.
The Maestro Pietro Generali, a composer of some popularity in his time, died lately in this city, of which he had been, for six years past, Maestro di Capella. Most accounts of this master have been in error, both as to his real name, and in stating him to have been a native of Rome. His name was Pietro Mercandetti, and he was born at Masserano, near Vercelli, in Piedmont; but he went to Rome with his father when very young, and studied music in that city, under an old singer belonging to the Sistine chapel. He had a happy turn for music, made a very rapid progress, and for a short time enjoyed a brilliant reputation. His success would have been greater if he had given himself less up to the dominion of his passions, and led a more regular life. During the latter years of his dramatic career many of his compositions were ill received by the public; this disgusted him with the theatre. His pecuniary means were very precarious, and feeling the necessity of making some provision for approaching age, he returned to his native country, and succeeded in attaining, as mentioned above, the situation of Maestro di Capella, at Novara. One opera of his, Adelina, has been performed both in London and Paris; and it has been said, that if Generali’s works had been more long-lived, many of Rossini’s melodies would lose their claim to originality.