Paolo Sperati

Paolo Agostino Sperati (March 26, 1821 – May 20, 1884) was an Italian conductor, musician, and composer that was active in the theater and opera life of Christiania (now Oslo), Norway in the 19th century.

Life and work Sperati grew up in a family of musicians, and he made his debut as an organist at the age of nine in 1830. who engaged him in the opera in Berlin and then in Copenhagen (1841–1850) as conductor of the Italian Society at the Court Theater and the Royal Danish Theatre. They performed Danish premieres of works by Giuseppe Verdi and were commissioned by Christian VIII.

He then led the Italian opera troupe that brought the impresario Vincenzo Galli (1798–1858) to Norway in 1849, after he had spent a year at the Royal Swedish Opera. In Norway, Sperati was engaged as a conductor for the Christiania Theater (1850–1866)

In Italy he is still known today above all for his organ adaptations of works by Giuseppe Verdi, in particular a series of pieces for the mass taken from the operas Aida, Don Carlo, Rigoletto, Trovatore, Macbeth, Giovanna d'Arco, Un ballo in maschera, Attila, Ernani, and Giovanna di Guzman.

His original production of organ music is less known, including the series Tre Pastorali published by Vismara in Milan in Collection of Pieces for the Modern Organist by Renowned Authors / Transcribed and Varied by Paolo Sperati.

Family Sperati married a Danish woman, Sidsel Marie Nielsen (1823–1864), in 1847.

After the death of his first wife, Paolo Sperati married his Danish housekeeper, Charlotte Mathilde Bendixen (1835–1906), in 1872. Together they had a son, Paolo Angelo Johannes (born 1869), who became a violinist.