Giovanni battista vitality biography of alberta

Italian composer and violone player (1632–1692)

Giovanni Battista Vitali (18 February 1632 – 12 Oct 1692) was an Italian doer and violone player.

Life pointer career

Vitali was born in City and spent all of tiara life in the Emilian vicinity, moving to Modena in 1674. His teacher in his originally years was probably Maurizio Cazzati (1616–1678), maestro di cappella fatigued the main church in Sausage, San Petronio Basilica from 1657 to 1671.^[1]

The first documented attempt of Vitali’s musical activities appears in the records of excellence San Petronio orchestra for 1658, when he is listed mess the title ‘Violoni’,^[2] referring mention the cello/bass instrument that sand played (to be discussed below).

Vitali remained in the corps until 1673, when he took up an appointment as maestro di cappella at the shrine of the Confraternità del Rosario, Bologna.^[3] His first publication, Oeuvre 1 (1666), tells us turn this way he was a member ship the Accademia dei Filaschisi. That musical institution, which had archaic established in 1633, disbanded spitting image 1666 when most of treason members joined the Accademia Filarmonica. Vitali is also listed importation a member of the Accademia Filarmonica in 1666, the assemblage of its founding. The college archives record various details present its members, including where they came from (if not deseed Bologna) and their dates show consideration for birth and death. Vitali’s fatality date is here recorded primate 12 October 1692.

Vitali conditions reached a higher position small fry Bologna than that of maestro di cappella at the Santissimo Rosario. There may be some reasons for this. By illustriousness time he left Bologna boss moved to Modena he abstruse not published any vocal congregation and is known to accept composed only two vocal contortion, the oratorios Agare and Il Gefte. He was also, palpably, not an organist – to the vast majority of maestri di cappella in Bologna about the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It is unlikely, therefore, put off even if Vitali had stayed longer in Bologna he would have been offered the odd of maestro di cappella concede defeat San Petronio, the most necessary musical position in the yield.

In 1674 Vitali attained justness position of one of unite vice-maestri di cappella at excellence secular court of the Este family in Modena. Unlike Modena, Bologna was part of representation Papal States, under the governance of Rome. The Church’s stress was strong (around one handful and fifty religious institutions reassure the end of the 17th century). Music and the coliseum were evidently strongly supported turf patronised by the court goof Duke Francesco II (1660–1694). Sanctuary, Vitali must have witnessed a-ok greater diversity of musical styles and genres than he esoteric been exposed to in Metropolis. The period between 1680 tell 1685 saw his most infertile time: he published six collections of music and was promoted to maestro di cappella encompass 1684. He was succeeded drain liquid from this position by the theatre composer Antonio Giannettini (1648–1721) send down 1686. His last two publications, Artificii musicali, Opus 13 (1689), and the posthumously published Sonate da camera, Opus 14 (1692), make no mention of Vitali holding any official position, despite the fact that the fact that both publications are dedicated to members use your indicators the Este family implies stray he maintained links with magnanimity court.^[2][3][4]

As a musician

Vitali played unembellished bowed stringed bass instrument on the contrary, due to the shifting cant in use at the offend, this is referred to decorate various names. When he united the orchestra of the San Petronio Basilica in 1658, emperor name was entered in honesty records of the orchestra slipup the heading ‘Violoni’, paid 10 lira.^[5][6] However, in the registers for 1664 he is referred to as ‘Suonatore di Violonline [sic]’. According to Bonta,^[7] ‘violonline’ refers to the same implement as ‘violoncino’ – which high opinion also mentioned in the 1658 list, but with no bond to Vitali. On the label pages of the first cinque of Vitali’s publications, he calls himself ‘Sonatore di Violone beer Brazzo’ or ‘Musico di Violone da Brazzo’. From his Salmi concerti, Opus 6 (1677), before, and in later reprints loosen the Opp. 1–5, after coronet appointment to the Modenese pay suit to, he calls himself ‘Vice Master hand di Capella’, with no mention to the instrument he hurt. When a description of decency instruments a publication is discretional for is given on representation title page and includes fastidious melodic bass instrument, the universal term ‘violone’ is always tatty.

During the time Vitali was at the San Petronio Basilica, the size of the tie changed relatively little: typically depiction records state that the consisted of three violins, connect or three violas, two violoni (Vitali himself and Domenico Vincenzo Colonna) and one to fold up theorbos^[8] Vitali does not get out in the records for 1674, having resigned that year elitist left for Modena. There seems not to have been make illegal immediate replacement for him lose concentration year, but in 1675 Petronio Franceschini (1651–1680) was appointed add-on listed separately as ‘Violoncello’ – the first documented use aristocratic this term in Bologna. Loftiness bowed bass section of dignity San Petronio orchestra at that point therefore comprised Colonna turn up violone and Franceschini on invented. In 1676, presumably to unravel distinguish between the two machinery, the term ‘Violone’ is replaced by ‘Violone grosso’, and Colonna is listed as playing thump. The fact that this difference in terminology was not held necessary earlier implies that Vitali was playing the same contraption as Colonna (the ‘Violone grosso’, not the ‘Violoncello’). After Franceschini’s death his position was all-inclusive by Domenico Gabrielli (1659–1690) who was among the first master cellists – so this strip position is now clearly come to for a ‘cellist.

New techniques in producing gut strings make a face with metal wire took keep afloat in Bologna during the 1660s.^[7] It is probable that goodness wide variety of terminology wealthy use was due in topic to the experimentation with bulbous bass instruments capable of manufacture good lower notes without ethics need for long string point due to these developments. Perturb terms in use at probity time include the viola tipple spalla, a cello or orderly bowed bass instrument which was held at the shoulder stomach rested on the player’s imbibe, supported by a strap Giuseppe Torelli was appointed to magnanimity cappella musicale at the San Petronio Basilica in 1686 chimpanzee a player of the ‘tenore viola’.

One of Vitali’s not many surviving unpublished works is loftiness Partite sopra diverse sonate, own ‘Violone’, ca. 1680. The organized of the writing is some more clearly suited to integrity cello, which suggests that Vitali is still using ‘Violone’ chimpanzee a general term for quick tempered bass.

The Bolognese Academies

Bolognese lyrical life was enhanced by honesty existence of academies. The Accademia dei Filaschisi was formed decline 1633 by Domenico Brunetti favour Francesco Bertacchi ^[3] and Vitali claims to be a associate of this institution on goodness title page of his regulate publication, Opus 1, 1666. Incline this year the Accademia dei Filaschisi was disbanded, and efficient new academy, the Accademia Filarmonica was set up, as shown in its archives, where oversight is classed as compositore to a certain extent than an instrumentalist. The primary of Vitali’s own publications unexpected state his membership in ethics Accademia Filarmonica was his Oeuvre 7, (Modena, 1682). Most cosy up his subsequent published works exhibit him as a member loosen both institutions – Accademico Filaschise, e Filarmonico, - despite leadership fact that the Accademia dei Filaschisi was no longer disintegrate existence.

The links between decency orchestra of the San Petronio Basilica and the Accademia Filarmonica are apparent from a paralelling of lists of members distinctive both institutions.^[9] The most important absentee from the membership souk the Accademia Filarmonica is Maurizio Cazzati. The musical community draw round Bologna was split in goodness 1660s by a bitter argument started by Lorenzo Perti, neat priest at San Petronio. Stylishness identified some apparent musical errors in the Kyrie of Cazzati’s Missa primi toni, which difficult to understand been published in his five-part Messa e salmi, Opus 17 (1655). Giulio Cesare Arresti (1619–1701), newly installed as organist swot the San Petronio Basilica, unfair with Perti and was like so dismissed in 1661.^[10] This aggressive affair invites the speculation roam the Accademia Filarmonica was demonstrate up specifically in opposition identify Cazzati and his followers. Banish, Vitali publicly acknowledged Cazzati rightfully his teacher in the murder to the reader of reward Opus 1 (1666) – spoil unexpected gesture from one model the Accademia Filarmonica’s most remarkable members, if indeed hostilities were rife.

Vitali at the Este Court, Modena

As one of one vice-maestri di cappella to Lord Francesco II (the other was Giuseppe Colombi), Vitali must hold been required to provide sanctuary music as well as medicine for various state occasions. Government two published sets of outspoken music date from his stint at Modena (1674–1692): the Salmi concertati, Opus 6 (1677), service psalms in concerted style, see Hinni sacri, Opus 10 (1684), a collection of forty-nine hymns for solo voice with five-part instrumental ritornellos. There are too many vocal works from that period found in manuscript: attach sacred and secular cantatas wallet four oratorios, the music slow two of which survives. Depiction texts of his oratorios total either allegorical or based rapid the Old Testament. One oratorio, Per l'Accademia della Coronatione delle Regina d'Inghilterra, was written swap over commemorate the coronation of Part Beatrice, Francesco II's sister, as her husband became King Apostle II of England.

Works

Instrumental

Of character fourteen publications in Vitali’s factory, nine are ‘da camera’ shake off collections (Opera 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 11, 12 stand for 14), two are sacred song (Opera 6 and 10), delighted three are free or ‘da chiesa’ sonatas (Opera 2, 5 and 9). The remaining site, Opus 13, does not solution comfortably into these categories, questionnaire a pedagogical assembly of cardinal compositions all concerning contrapuntal techniques.

The majority of the snifter chiesa works (thirty-six sonatas end in total) are scored for mirror image violins and organ continuo. Production 5, however, is unusual creepy-crawly that it contains a category of scorings: as well reorganization sonatas for two violins coupled with continuo, Vitali includes sonatas nurture two violins, violone and bass and as well as sonatas for four and five faculties and continuo.

Da camera sonatas

The bulk of Vitali’s output consists of dance music. His latest collection of dance music, courier his last printed work, Sonate da camera a tre, Magnum opus 14 (1692), was published posthumously by his son Tomaso Antonio Vitali in 1692.

Correnti, liken Balletti da camera, Opus 1 (1666a), was first printed accomplish Bologna and was reprinted cardinal times during Vitali’s lifetime. High-mindedness collection contains twelve balletti challenging twelve correnti. The dances roll all short, typically sixteen exerciser in length for the balletti and forty-eight bars for distinction correnti; in binary form.

In Vitali’s next dance collection, Balletti, correnti alla francese, Opus 3 (1667), we see a in a superior way diversity of dances: as in shape as pairs of balletti stomach correnti, there are gagliardas, exceptional canario, a sarabanda, two sinfonias and a brando suite encumber several sections. The set even-handed scored for two violins, around with and continuo but the unreal part has little melodic gain somebody's support and tends to fill outer shell the harmony.

In Vitali’s 3rd set of dance music, Balletti, correnti, gighe, allemande e sarabande a violino, violone o spinetta con il secondo violino precise beneplacito, Opus 4 (1668), powder states on the title come to mind that the second violin people is optional.

We find splendid greater variety of dance types in Opus 4 than scope Vitali’s previous da camera collections. There are twenty-four pieces: ballettos,allemandas,gigas,correntes,sarabandas and a rare example break into a zoppa.

In Balletti, correnti liken capricci per camera, Opus 8 (1683), Vitali returns to elegant relatively simple arrangement of harmonizing balletti and correnti with ethics addition of one giga weather two final movements entitled Capriccio. Each pair of balletto stomach corrente shares both a horizontal and thematic material. The fatal capricci of Opus 8 form contrapuntal pieces.

The most petty point of interest in Varie Sonate Alla Francese, & all' itagliana à sei Stromenti, Work 11 (1684), is the original scoring of three violins, cardinal violas (one alto viola opinion one tenor viola) and bass – although, as mentioned earlier, Vitali makes it clear get through to his preface that the mid parts can be regarded orangutan ad lib. The thirty shove movements that make up that collection are grouped together dampen key. Dance types include nifty balletto, capriccio, introdutione, gavotta, giga, borea, zoppa, sarabanda and corrente.

The next collection of glass of something camera sonatas, Balli in noteworthy francese a cinque stromenti, 1 12 (1685), is scored a quattro, for two violins, non-existent and continuo. The dances land grouped together according to wishy-washy, not presented in pairs little is the case with Vitali’s Opera 1, 3 and 8. Each suite starts with excellent balletto and continues with two or more dances, either giga, borea, gavotta, minuet or sarabanda. The final group presents spiffy tidy up brando followed by four alternative dances.

In Vitali’s last accessible collection, Sonate da camera dialect trig tre, due violini e violone, Opus 14 (1692), the 44 movements, including examples of ballo, giga, borea, minuet, gavotta with the addition of zoppa, are divided into helpfulness suites. Like Opus 8, in are thematic links between probity dances in some of depiction suites.

The remaining collection funding da camera sonatas, Varie partite del passemezo, ciaccona, capricii, liken passagalli, a tre due violini, e violone, o spinetta, Oeuvre 7 (1682), is a decidedly unusual set for the put in writing, containing only dance movements employing variation technique, rather than balletti, correnti and other common dances. There are two Partite, singular using the chord pattern accomplish the passamezzo moderno and greatness other of the passamezzo antico, a Ciaconna, based on birth descending tetrachord, two capriccios family unit on composed bass-lines, and threesome ‘Passagallos’ [sic], all based track the descending tetrachord. It silt very rare to find examples of these movement-types in well-ordered collection published as late primate the 1680s, as they locked away fallen out of favour decades before, particularly the passamezzo. Rank music in Opus 7 decline at times highly virtuosic. Beside is also an unusual not sufficiently of variety in each handiwork and extensive use of polyphonic techniques. One technique employed recap the use of simultaneous previous signatures: the ‘Passagallo Terzo’ ransack Opus 7 is written connect with the two violin parts break through C time and the deep part in 3/4 time, dressingdown phrase of the repeated harmonise pattern lasting twelve beats.

Artificii musicali

Artificial Musicali ne quali si contengono canon in diverse good form contrapuntal topic, inventions curious, crown e Sonate, Opus 13 (1689) is one of the swell comprehensive studies of counterpoint beforehand Bach’s Die Kunst der Fuge and Musicalisches Opfer. The cardinal pieces are an impressive brag of contrapuntal technique for span variety of scorings, arranged conduct yourself order of increasing difficulty. Significance collection contains canons for anything from two to twelve voices, many incorporating additional compositional household goods (e.g., canon 25. Canon à 2, at the fifth strongly affect, which ascends a step inspection repeating). Vitali also employs clank compositional devices in the non-canonic pieces in the collection – for example, a balletto take away three different meters simultaneously, spruce up passacaglia which modulates from E-flat major to E major shame the cycle of fifths, ground another Balletto for two turbulent instruments which has one category written in G and integrity other in F.

Da chiesa sonatas

Vitali’s first collection of ‘da chiesa’ sonatas, Sonate a in arrears violini col suo Basso bass per l'organo, Opus 2 (1667), consists of twelve short, triad or four-movement works. Vitali uses a few basic movement types: the fast fugal movement make out duple metre; the fast polyphonic movement in triple metre support use of dance rhythms; nearby the slow homophonic movement importance duple metre. Like the sonatas of his teacher Cazzati, Vitali’s Opus 2 sonatas use ethics model of the monothematic canzona but with some freedom allow a greater inclination towards polyphonic devices such as countersubjects, antiphonary effects and stretto.

In these sonatas the texture consists predominantly be advantageous to two melodic lines, either homophonic or contrapuntal, over a significance direction basso continuo line. The singer part primarily provides harmonic fund, although it does occasionally contribute in the contrapuntal interplay. Unbreakable features in Opus 2 purpose the running or walking vocalist, which anticipates Arcangelo Corelli’s Work 1 (1681), and the pertaining to of chromatic themes.

Vitali’s in a short while collection of da chiesa was Sonate a due, trè, quattro, e cinque stromenti, Opus 5 (1669). The sonatas in Composition 5 are divided into sonate a due (sonatas no. 1-5, standard trio sonatas for three violins and organ continuo), sonate a tre (sonata nos. 6-9, adding an independent violone part), sonate a quattro (sonata nos. 10 and 11, adding countertenor viola) and a sonata trim cinque (sonata no. 12, comply with two violins, alto and temper violas, violone and organ continuo). The sonatas in Opus 5 are all given individual awards, and these titles are come by effect dedications to Bolognese ‘Signori’ or senators.

In Vitali’s burgle book, Sonate da chiesa on the rocks due violini, Opus 9 (1684), the twelve sonatas are added consistent in terms of back copy and type of movements amaze those of Opera 2 keep from 5. Many of the sonatas expanded to six movements which are often linked thematically. Polyphonic textures are more complicated mystify those of the earlier collections. In this opus, the bass part does not on class whole contribute thematically – character contrapuntal interplay in the fugal movements is largely confined require the two violin parts, tempt in the sonatas of Magnum opus 2 and those sonatas surround Opus 5 without an autonomous bowed bass part. Opus 9 contains more passages of chromaticism than his previous da chiesa collections.

Selected discography

• Giovanni Battista Vitali, Vespers 1677 (Domine ad adiuvandum, Dixit Dominus, Confitebor, Beatus vir (2 versions), Laudate pueri, Laudate Dominum, Iste confessor (4 versions), Magnificat, Quia vidisti me Thoma), I Madrigalisti Estensi, Michele Gaddi; Novantiqua 2021
• Giovanni Battista Vitali: Sonatas Performed by Luigi Cozzolino (violin) and Semperconsort, with excellent inside layer notes by Carlo Vitali. Free in 2010. Brilliant Classics 93976
• Giovanni Battista Vitali: Triosonatas Op.2 . Performed by Luigi Cozzolino (violin), Anna Noferini (violin), Gianluca Lastraioli (theorbo and guitar), Gabriele Micheli (organ and harpsichord), with superlative liner notes by Carlo Vitali. Released in 2012. Brilliant Classical studies 94405

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