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"In his own time, Giacomo Meyerbeer was considered one of the all time great composers of music, along with Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven. His music was incredibly popular, and other composers admired and emulated him. Today he is mostly known for the grand operas that he composed for the French stage from 1826 until his death in 1864. Among his lesser-known works are his melodies for voice and piano, his Lieder and other songs, and the monodrama Gli Amori di Teolinda. Written in 1816 when he had first journeyed to Italy, it shows how enamored Meyerbeer was with everything Italian, and in particular with Italian music. It was composed in Verona when Meyerbeer was in the company of two of his childhood friends from Germany; the clarinetist Heinrich Baermann and the soprano Helene Harlas, both virtuosos. The scoring is for soprano, clarinet, chorus and orchestra, and features virtuosic clarinet writing as well as Italianate coloratura for soprano voice. In the directions to the score there are indications that choral
