Giovanni Ricordi

Who was Giovanni Ricordi?

Giovanni Ricordi was an Italian violinist and the founder of the classical music publishing company Casa Ricordi, described by musicologist Philip Gossett as "a genius and positive force in the history of Italian opera",

The son of Gianbatista Ricordi, who was a glassmaker, and Angiola de Medici, Giovanni Ricordi studied the violin from an early age and, for a short time, became the concertmaster and conductor of the small puppet theatre, Fiando. In 1803 he created a "copisteria" in Milan, working as a music copyist and dealer in printed music and instruments with the Teatro Carcano, which opened in that year, and with the Teatro Lentasio. In 1807 he studied in Leipzig at the Breitkopf & Härtel company, learning the techniques of engraving and printing. When he returned to Milan, in early 1808 he founded his publishing company, initially with a partner who dropped out by the middle of the year.