Agata della Pietà
Encyclopedia
Agata della Pietà was an Italian
composer
, singer, and teacher of music.
A foundling
admitted in infancy to the Ospedale della Pietà
in Venice
, she received thorough musical training from her childhood in the coro, or music school, of the convent; she later became a soprano
soloist, singing teacher, and school administrator. She is known to have been the soloist in motet
s commissioned from Giovanni Porta
and Andrea Bernasconi
, in whose manuscripts she is mentioned by name; she is also mentioned in an anonymous
verse tribute to musicians of the Pietà cori which dates to around 1740.
Only two motet settings by della Pietà, a Novo aprili in F (inscribed to one "Louisa Della Sga Agnatta") and a setting, also in F, of Psalm 134
for compline
, survive; only the instrumental bass part to the latter survives. In addition, she produced a pedagogical text, Regali per Gregoria, for one of her pupils, an alto soloist named Gregoria known to have been active between 1746 and 1777.
Along with Michielina
and Santa della Pietà
, della Pietà was one of three foundlings of the Ospedale known to have become a composer. Nothing is known of her later years or of her death.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, singer, and teacher of music.
A foundling
Child abandonment
Child abandonment is the practice of relinquishing interests and claims over one's offspring with the intent of never again resuming or reasserting them. Causes include many social and cultural factors as well as mental illness. An abandoned child is called a foundling .-Causes:Poverty is often a...
admitted in infancy to the Ospedale della Pietà
Ospedale della Pietà
The Ospedale della Pietà was a convent, orphanage, and music school in Venice.Like other Venetian ospedali, the Pietà was established as a hostel for Crusaders...
in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, she received thorough musical training from her childhood in the coro, or music school, of the convent; she later became a soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
soloist, singing teacher, and school administrator. She is known to have been the soloist in motet
Motet
In classical music, motet is a word that is applied to a number of highly varied choral musical compositions.-Etymology:The name comes either from the Latin movere, or a Latinized version of Old French mot, "word" or "verbal utterance." The Medieval Latin for "motet" is motectum, and the Italian...
s commissioned from Giovanni Porta
Giovanni Porta
Giovanni Porta was an Italian opera composer.One of the masters of early 18th-century opera and one of the leading Venetian musicians, Porta made his way from Rome, to Vicenza, to Verona, then London where his opera Numitore was performed in 1720 by the Royal Academy of Music , and eventually back...
and Andrea Bernasconi
Andrea Bernasconi
Andrea Bernasconi was an Italian composer. He began his career in his native country as a composer of operas. In 1755 he was appointed to the post of Kapellmeister at the Bavarian court in Munich where he produced several more operas successfully and a few symphonies. After 1772 his compositional...
, in whose manuscripts she is mentioned by name; she is also mentioned in an anonymous
Anonymity
Anonymity is derived from the Greek word ἀνωνυμία, anonymia, meaning "without a name" or "namelessness". In colloquial use, anonymity typically refers to the state of an individual's personal identity, or personally identifiable information, being publicly unknown.There are many reasons why a...
verse tribute to musicians of the Pietà cori which dates to around 1740.
Only two motet settings by della Pietà, a Novo aprili in F (inscribed to one "Louisa Della Sga Agnatta") and a setting, also in F, of Psalm 134
Psalm 134
Psalm 134 is the 134th psalm from the Book of Psalms. It is one of fourteen psalms that begins with the words "A song of ascents" ....
for compline
Compline
Compline is the final church service of the day in the Christian tradition of canonical hours. The English word Compline is derived from the Latin completorium, as Compline is the completion of the working day. The word was first used in this sense about the beginning of the 6th century by St...
, survive; only the instrumental bass part to the latter survives. In addition, she produced a pedagogical text, Regali per Gregoria, for one of her pupils, an alto soloist named Gregoria known to have been active between 1746 and 1777.
Along with Michielina
Michielina della Pietà
Michielina della Pietà was an Italian composer, violinist, organist, and teacher of music....
and Santa della Pietà
Santa della Pietà
Santa della Pietà was an Italian singer, composer, and violinist....
, della Pietà was one of three foundlings of the Ospedale known to have become a composer. Nothing is known of her later years or of her death.