Antonio da Cividale
Encyclopedia
Antonio da Cividale (fl.
1392 – 1421) was an Italian
composer of the early Quattrocento
, at the end of the musical medieval
era and beginning of the Renaissance
. He is one of a few Italian composers of the early 15th century whose works have survived; they are transitional between the Trecento
and the early Renaissance styles.
order; from his name, it can be inferred he was from the town of Cividale del Friuli
. In 1392 he joined the monastery of San Domenico in Venice
. When Pope Gregory XII
convened the conference of Cividale in 1409, Antonio went, probably with Cardinal Dominici, the head of his monastery. Sometime between then and 1414 Antonio moved to Florence
. In 1420 he probably went to Rome
along with Pope Martin V
, who had recently been elected by the Council of Constance
; in 1421 he wrote a motet
in his honor. There are no records of Antonio's life or activity after 1421.
Several of Antonio's compositions can be dated precisely, including a marriage motet he wrote for the union of Giorgio Ordelaffi
, ruler of Forlì
, with Lucrezia degli Alidosi, which occurred on July 3, 1412. In addition, in 1414 he wrote a motet in honor of the city of Florence and Leonardo Dati
, the new Dominican Master General.
movements and six motet
s have survived (some of the motets were incidental pieces written for specific occasions; these are the ones with known dates). The motets are for three or four voices, the mass movements for two or three. Stylistically, his lines are short, broken by rests
, and depend on repetition as well as sequential
treatment of short motif
s. He was also interested in compositional "tricks" such as phrases which are first sung forward, then backward, and in addition he wrote parts that were sometimes strictly canonic
. Isorhythm
and other traits of the contemporary French style are prominent, but unlike the French composers, Antonio seems to have written the tenor parts to his motets himself, rather than borrowing them from pre-existing chant. He was a fairly prolific composer, and while it is not known how much of his music is lost, his six surviving motets are one of the largest groups of surviving motets by a single Italian composer of the time. Most of his music survives in sources in northern Italy.
Three rondeaux
, three virelai
s, and one ballade
survive of his secular output. All except the ballade are in French; the ballade, Jo vegio per stasone, is in Italian, although with the exception of the incipit, the text is lost.
The music of Antonio and his contemporaries was a formative influence on Guillaume Dufay
during his years on the Italian peninsula.
Floruit
Floruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...
1392 – 1421) was an Italian
Music of Italy
The music of Italy ranges across a broad spectrum of opera and instrumental classical music and a body of popular music drawn from both native and imported sources. Music has traditionally been one of the cultural markers of Italian national and ethnic identity and holds an important position in...
composer of the early Quattrocento
Quattrocento
The cultural and artistic events of 15th century Italy are collectively referred to as the Quattrocento...
, at the end of the musical medieval
Medieval music
Medieval music is Western music written during the Middle Ages. This era begins with the fall of the Roman Empire and ends sometime in the early fifteenth century...
era and beginning of the Renaissance
Renaissance music
Renaissance music is European music written during the Renaissance. Defining the beginning of the musical era is difficult, given that its defining characteristics were adopted only gradually; musicologists have placed its beginnings from as early as 1300 to as late as the 1470s.Literally meaning...
. He is one of a few Italian composers of the early 15th century whose works have survived; they are transitional between the Trecento
Music of the trecento
The Trecento was a period of vigorous activity in Italy in the arts, including painting, architecture, literature, and music. The music of the Trecento paralleled the achievements in the other arts in many ways, for example, in pioneering new forms of expression, especially in secular song in the...
and the early Renaissance styles.
Life
While a few details are known of his life, both the beginning and end are obscure. There has been confusion over dating of some of his compositions, some of which has been resolved recently, and most of his activity now seems to have been in the first two decades of the 15th century. He was a friar of the DominicanDominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
order; from his name, it can be inferred he was from the town of Cividale del Friuli
Cividale del Friuli
-External links:*...
. In 1392 he joined the monastery of San Domenico 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...
. When Pope Gregory XII
Pope Gregory XII
Pope Gregory XII , born Angelo Correr or Corraro, Pope from 1406 to 1415, succeeded Pope Innocent VII on 30 November 1406....
convened the conference of Cividale in 1409, Antonio went, probably with Cardinal Dominici, the head of his monastery. Sometime between then and 1414 Antonio moved to Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
. In 1420 he probably went to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
along with Pope Martin V
Pope Martin V
Pope Martin V , born Odo Colonna, was Pope from 1417 to 1431. His election effectively ended the Western Schism .-Biography:...
, who had recently been elected by the Council of Constance
Council of Constance
The Council of Constance is the 15th ecumenical council recognized by the Roman Catholic Church, held from 1414 to 1418. The council ended the Three-Popes Controversy, by deposing or accepting the resignation of the remaining Papal claimants and electing Pope Martin V.The Council also condemned and...
; in 1421 he wrote a 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...
in his honor. There are no records of Antonio's life or activity after 1421.
Several of Antonio's compositions can be dated precisely, including a marriage motet he wrote for the union of Giorgio Ordelaffi
Giorgio Ordelaffi
Giorgio Ordelaffi was lord of Forlì and Papal vicar in Romagna . He was a member of the Ordelaffi family.The son of Teobaldo Ordelaffi, he married Lucrezia Alidosi...
, ruler of Forlì
Forlì
Forlì is a comune and city in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, and is the capital of the province of Forlì-Cesena. The city is situated along the Via Emilia, to the right of the Montone river, and is an important agricultural centre...
, with Lucrezia degli Alidosi, which occurred on July 3, 1412. In addition, in 1414 he wrote a motet in honor of the city of Florence and Leonardo Dati
Leonardo Dati
For other uses of the word Dati, see Dati .Leonardo Dati was an Italian friar and humanist. He was Master general of the Dominican Order from 1414 to his death....
, the new Dominican Master General.
Music and influence
Antonio wrote both sacred and secular vocal music. Of the sacred music, four massMass (music)
The Mass, a form of sacred musical composition, is a choral composition that sets the invariable portions of the Eucharistic liturgy to music...
movements and six 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 have survived (some of the motets were incidental pieces written for specific occasions; these are the ones with known dates). The motets are for three or four voices, the mass movements for two or three. Stylistically, his lines are short, broken by rests
Rest (music)
A rest is an interval of silence in a piece of music, marked by a sign indicating the length of the pause. Each rest symbol corresponds with a particular note value:The quarter rest may also be found as a form in older music....
, and depend on repetition as well as sequential
Sequence (music)
In music, a sequence is the immediate restatement of a motif or longer melodic passage at a higher or lower pitch in the same voice. It is one of the most common and simple methods of elaborating a melody in eighteenth and nineteenth century classical music...
treatment of short motif
Motif (music)
In music, a motif or motive is a short musical idea, a salient recurring figure, musical fragment or succession of notes that has some special importance in or is characteristic of a composition....
s. He was also interested in compositional "tricks" such as phrases which are first sung forward, then backward, and in addition he wrote parts that were sometimes strictly canonic
Canon (music)
In music, a canon is a contrapuntal composition that employs a melody with one or more imitations of the melody played after a given duration . The initial melody is called the leader , while the imitative melody, which is played in a different voice, is called the follower...
. Isorhythm
Isorhythm
Isorhythm is a musical technique that arranges a fixed pattern of pitches with a repeating rhythmic pattern.-Detail:...
and other traits of the contemporary French style are prominent, but unlike the French composers, Antonio seems to have written the tenor parts to his motets himself, rather than borrowing them from pre-existing chant. He was a fairly prolific composer, and while it is not known how much of his music is lost, his six surviving motets are one of the largest groups of surviving motets by a single Italian composer of the time. Most of his music survives in sources in northern Italy.
Three rondeaux
Rondeau (music)
The rondeau was a Medieval and early Renaissance musical form, based on the contemporary popular poetic rondeau form. It is distinct from the 18th century rondo, though the terms are likely related...
, three virelai
Virelai
A virelai is a form of medieval French verse used often in poetry and music. It is one of the three formes fixes and was one of the most common verse forms set to music in Europe from the late thirteenth to the fifteenth centuries.A virelai is similar to a rondeau...
s, and one ballade
Ballade
The ballade is a form of French poetry. It was one of the three formes fixes and one of the verse forms in France most commonly set to music between the late 13th and the 15th centuries....
survive of his secular output. All except the ballade are in French; the ballade, Jo vegio per stasone, is in Italian, although with the exception of the incipit, the text is lost.
The music of Antonio and his contemporaries was a formative influence on Guillaume Dufay
Guillaume Dufay
Guillaume Dufay was a Franco-Flemish composer of the early Renaissance. As the central figure in the Burgundian School, he was the most famous and influential composer in Europe in the mid-15th century.-Early life:From the evidence of his will, he was probably born in Beersel, in the vicinity of...
during his years on the Italian peninsula.