Claudio Pari
Encyclopedia
Claudio Pari was a Sicilian
composer, of Burgundian birth, of the late Renaissance
and early Baroque
eras. He was a competent madrigalist
, well regarded by his peers, as well as a late representative of the musical style/ethos known as musica reservata
.
), Burgundy. While little is known about his early life, he probably came to Italy
or Sicily early in his life. He was at the monastery of S. Domingo in Palermo
in 1598, where he fell afoul of the Inquisition
; at an auto-da-fé
there he was sentenced to row in the galleys for five years, on a charge of heresy
. By 1611 at the latest he was back in Palermo, since he published a book of madrigals there.
Whatever his history as a heretic may have been, he must have been forgiven, for he was appointed to be music director at a Jesuit institution at Salemi
(in western Sicily) in 1615. His final publication—his fourth book of madrigals—was in 1619 and nothing further is known about his life.
style which was characteristic of the transformation of Renaissance into Baroque, and in addition conforms closely to the idea of musica reservata
: music of intense expressiveness, careful text setting, and elaborate contrapuntal
techniques, most likely intended for an audience of connoisseurs. In this regard it resembles that of some of his contemporaries, including the madrigalists Gesualdo
, Sigismondo d'India
, Pomponio Nenna
, and Giovanni de Macque
, although Pari avoids the extreme chromaticism
used by Gesualdo and never attained his fame.
Pari's only surviving music are three books of madrigals, all published in Palermo between 1611 and 1619. Three other books of madrigals written prior to 1611 are lost. The collection published in 1611 includes a setting of Guarini
's famous Il pastor fido, and the 1619 collection is subtitled Lamento d'Arianna; it is clearly influenced by the famous composition by Monteverdi
. In the Lamento d'Arianna collection, Pari derived most of the motivic material directly from Monteverdi, but worked it into a dense, archaic contrapuntal texture more akin to Gombert
, who had died sixty years earlier, than to the currently popular style of monody
.
The connection with Gombert may not have been coincidental. Gombert also spent time in the galleys, only being pardoned, according to one story, after the publication of a set of Magnificat
s dedicated to Emperor Charles V. It is possible that Pari not only knew Gombert's music but looked to his experience as inspiration to survive his own hard years of slavery; and the music akin to the dense contrapuntal style of Gombert was all composed after the end of Pari's sentence.
Although Pari had a liking for the dense counterpoint of the middle of the 16th century, he experimented with piquant dissonance
s, and also with the concertato
style, features which were quite contemporary; he also varied the texture widely within individual pieces as a way to highlight the dramatic contents of the text.
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
composer, of Burgundian birth, of the late 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...
and early Baroque
Baroque music
Baroque music describes a style of Western Classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1760. This era follows the Renaissance and was followed in turn by the Classical era...
eras. He was a competent madrigalist
Madrigal (music)
A madrigal is a secular vocal music composition, usually a partsong, of the Renaissance and early Baroque eras. Traditionally, polyphonic madrigals are unaccompanied; the number of voices varies from two to eight, and most frequently from three to six....
, well regarded by his peers, as well as a late representative of the musical style/ethos known as musica reservata
Musica reservata
In music history, musica reservata is either a style or a performance practice in a cappella vocal music of the latter half of the 16th century, mainly in Italy and southern Germany, involving refinement, exclusivity, and intense emotional expression of sung text.The exact meaning, which appears...
.
Life
As has been recently established, he was born in Salines (Salins-les-BainsSalins-les-Bains
Salins-les-Bains is a commune in the Jura department in Franche-Comté in eastern France.Salins owes its name to its saline waters, used for bathing and drinking. There are also salt works and gypsum deposits. In 2009 the historic saltworks were added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites...
), Burgundy. While little is known about his early life, he probably came to Italy
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...
or Sicily early in his life. He was at the monastery of S. Domingo in Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
in 1598, where he fell afoul of the Inquisition
Inquisition
The Inquisition, Inquisitio Haereticae Pravitatis , was the "fight against heretics" by several institutions within the justice-system of the Roman Catholic Church. It started in the 12th century, with the introduction of torture in the persecution of heresy...
; at an auto-da-fé
Auto-da-fé
An auto-da-fé was the ritual of public penance of condemned heretics and apostates that took place when the Spanish Inquisition or the Portuguese Inquisition had decided their punishment, followed by the execution by the civil authorities of the sentences imposed...
there he was sentenced to row in the galleys for five years, on a charge of heresy
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
. By 1611 at the latest he was back in Palermo, since he published a book of madrigals there.
Whatever his history as a heretic may have been, he must have been forgiven, for he was appointed to be music director at a Jesuit institution at Salemi
Salemi
Salemi is a town and comune in South-Western Sicily, Italy, administratively part of the province of Trapani. It is located in the Belice Valley.-History:...
(in western Sicily) in 1615. His final publication—his fourth book of madrigals—was in 1619 and nothing further is known about his life.
Music and influence
Much of Pari's music is in the manneristicMannerism
Mannerism is a period of European art that emerged from the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520. It lasted until about 1580 in Italy, when a more Baroque style began to replace it, but Northern Mannerism continued into the early 17th century throughout much of Europe...
style which was characteristic of the transformation of Renaissance into Baroque, and in addition conforms closely to the idea of musica reservata
Musica reservata
In music history, musica reservata is either a style or a performance practice in a cappella vocal music of the latter half of the 16th century, mainly in Italy and southern Germany, involving refinement, exclusivity, and intense emotional expression of sung text.The exact meaning, which appears...
: music of intense expressiveness, careful text setting, and elaborate contrapuntal
Counterpoint
In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and rhythm and are harmonically interdependent . It has been most commonly identified in classical music, developing strongly during the Renaissance and in much of the common practice period,...
techniques, most likely intended for an audience of connoisseurs. In this regard it resembles that of some of his contemporaries, including the madrigalists Gesualdo
Carlo Gesualdo
Carlo Gesualdo, known as Gesualdo di Venosa or Gesualdo da Venosa , Prince of Venosa and Count of Conza, was an Italian nobleman, lutenist, composer, and murderer....
, Sigismondo d'India
Sigismondo d'India
Sigismondo d'India was an Italian composer of the late Renaissance and early Baroque eras. He was one of the most accomplished contemporaries of Monteverdi, and wrote music in many of the same forms as the more famous composer.-Life:D'India was probably born in Palermo, Sicily in 1582, though...
, Pomponio Nenna
Pomponio Nenna
Pomponio Nenna was a Neapolitan Italian composer of the Renaissance. He is mainly remembered for his madrigals, which were influenced by Gesualdo, and for his polychoral sacred motets, posthumously published as Sacrae Hebdomadae Responsoria in 1622.- Life :Pomponio Nenna was born in Bari, in the...
, and Giovanni de Macque
Giovanni de Macque
Giovanni de Macque was a Franco-Flemish composer of the late Renaissance and early Baroque, who spent almost his entire life in Italy...
, although Pari avoids the extreme chromaticism
Chromaticism
Chromaticism is a compositional technique interspersing the primary diatonic pitches and chords with other pitches of the chromatic scale. Chromaticism is in contrast or addition to tonality or diatonicism...
used by Gesualdo and never attained his fame.
Pari's only surviving music are three books of madrigals, all published in Palermo between 1611 and 1619. Three other books of madrigals written prior to 1611 are lost. The collection published in 1611 includes a setting of Guarini
Giovanni Battista Guarini
Giovanni Battista Guarini was an Italian poet, dramatist, and diplomat.- Life :He was born in Ferrara, and spent his early life both in Padua and Ferrara, entering the service of Alfonso II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara, in 1567...
's famous Il pastor fido, and the 1619 collection is subtitled Lamento d'Arianna; it is clearly influenced by the famous composition by Monteverdi
Claudio Monteverdi
Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi – 29 November 1643) was an Italian composer, gambist, and singer.Monteverdi's work, often regarded as revolutionary, marked the transition from the Renaissance style of music to that of the Baroque period. He developed two individual styles of composition – the...
. In the Lamento d'Arianna collection, Pari derived most of the motivic material directly from Monteverdi, but worked it into a dense, archaic contrapuntal texture more akin to Gombert
Nicolas Gombert
Nicolas Gombert was a Franco-Flemish composer of the Renaissance. He was one of the most famous and influential composers between Josquin des Prez and Palestrina, and best represents the fully developed, complex polyphonic style of this period in music history.-Life:Details of his early life are...
, who had died sixty years earlier, than to the currently popular style of monody
Monody
In poetry, the term monody has become specialized to refer to a poem in which one person laments another's death....
.
The connection with Gombert may not have been coincidental. Gombert also spent time in the galleys, only being pardoned, according to one story, after the publication of a set of Magnificat
Magnificat
The Magnificat — also known as the Song of Mary or the Canticle of Mary — is a canticle frequently sung liturgically in Christian church services. It is one of the eight most ancient Christian hymns and perhaps the earliest Marian hymn...
s dedicated to Emperor Charles V. It is possible that Pari not only knew Gombert's music but looked to his experience as inspiration to survive his own hard years of slavery; and the music akin to the dense contrapuntal style of Gombert was all composed after the end of Pari's sentence.
Although Pari had a liking for the dense counterpoint of the middle of the 16th century, he experimented with piquant dissonance
Consonance and dissonance
In music, a consonance is a harmony, chord, or interval considered stable, as opposed to a dissonance , which is considered to be unstable...
s, and also with the concertato
Concertato
Concertato is a term in early Baroque music referring to either a genre or a style of music in which groups of instruments or voices share a melody, usually in alternation, and almost always over a basso continuo...
style, features which were quite contemporary; he also varied the texture widely within individual pieces as a way to highlight the dramatic contents of the text.
Publications
- First book of madrigals (five voices), lost
- First book of madrigals (six voices), lost
- Il pastor fido, second book of madrigals (five voices), Palermo, 1611
- Third book of madrigals (five voices), Palermo, 1617
- Il lamento d'Arianna, fourth book of madrigals (five voices), Palermo, 1619