In December 1798 the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, with Naples as its capital, capitulated to the Republican armed forces of France under the direction of General Championnet. The establishment of the First Republic of Naples, the so-called Parthenopean Republic, was brief, lasting only until June 1799. Although fleeting, the Republic nevertheless exercised a profound effect on virtually every facet of contemporaneous society, especially music and theatre. In this essay I examine musical life during the first Republic of Naples (1798–1799), based upon surviving primary sources.

These sources include legal and civic documents, personal diaries and correspondence, employment rosters, newspapers (giornali), opera librettos and musical compositions. They illustrate the effects of the revolution on contemporary artistic practices, specifically with regard to those political and social uses of the operatic stage by the new regime that had consequences for repertory choice, production practices, theatrical management and the artists themselves. The bringing-together of these sources provides not only a detailed chronicle of contemporaneous events, but also significantly furthers present-day understanding of artistic practices during the Republic as well as providing a context for the policies enacted with the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy.