Giacomo Facco
Encyclopedia
Giacomo Facco was an Italian
Baroque
violin
ist, conductor
and composer
. One of the most famous Italian composers of his day, he was completely forgotten until 1962, when his work was discovered by scholar Uberto Zanolli
.
and Venice
. For many years he was a conductor in Italy. In 1705 he was in Palermo
, employed as choirmaster, teacher and violin virtuoso by Carlo Antonio Spinola
, Marquis of los Balbases (the Viceroy
of Sicily
). In 1708, Spinola Virrey transferred his residence to Messina, and Facco followed him. In Messina he composed The Fight between the Mercy and the Incredulity. In 1710 he presented, in Messina Cathedral, his work The Augury of Victories, dedicated to King Felipe V.
In a report dated 22 January 1720, the Patriarch of the Indies, Cardinal Carlos de Borja de Centelles and Ponce of León, Archbishop of Trebisonda, wrote that Facco had an excellent pay in the Court of the King of Spain (having rejected an offer, of equal pay, by the Portuguese Court), where Spinola was Ambassador of King Felipe V. On 9 February Facco was named Clavichord
Master to the Prince of Asturias, the Infant Luis, the future King Luis I. Facco subsequently became Clavichord Master to the infant Prince of Asturias (future king Fernando VI), and, since 1 October 1731, to the infant Don Carlos (future king Carlos III).
In 1720, when Facco was considered one of the best composers of the time, the city council of Madrid commissioned him to compose an opera
on a libretto
by Jose de Cañizares
. The opera was titled Love is all Invention, or, Jupiter and Amphitrion, and was released in the Coliseo of the Good Retirement. It was dedicated to Saints Martha and Mary to celebrate the marriage of Facco's student, Prince de Asturias, and Isabel of Orleans (which occurred in January 1721).
Facco fell victim of his scheming colleagues: he slowly lost all of his positions until, in the last years of his life, he was merely a violinist in the Orchestra of the Royal Chapel. He died in Madrid on February 16, 1753.
s for violin
, strings and organ with the title of Pensieri Adriarmonici (Thoughts Adriarmonicous), published in Amsterdam
, the first book in 1716 and the second in 1718. He also wrote solo cantatas—on his own texts, for he was a skilled poet—these were found at the National Library of Paris, and were presented by soprano
Betty Fabila
for the first time (conducted by Uberto Zanolli
) in 1962 at the Castle of Chapultepec
in Mexico City.
Facco must have composed numerous sacred works for the Royal Chapel in Madrid, but this music was probably destroyed, along with many other compositions, in the fire of 1734.
Much of the information about Facco's life and works was discovered by Uberto Zanolli, an Italian-Mexican composer who found Facco's Pensieri Adriarmonici at the Vizcain Library in Mexico City in 1962. Since then, Zanolli has worked on putting together a biography of Facco and a musicological recovery of his work. Among other finds was Facco's birth certificate.
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...
Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist, conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
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...
. One of the most famous Italian composers of his day, he was completely forgotten until 1962, when his work was discovered by scholar Uberto Zanolli
Uberto Zanolli
Uberto Zanolli , the son of Amelia Pìa Balugani Vecchi and Luigi Zanolli Marcolini, was an Italo-Mexican composer, conductor and writer;...
.
Biography
Facco was born in Marsango, a small settlement near PaduaPadua
Padua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having...
and 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...
. For many years he was a conductor in Italy. In 1705 he was 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...
, employed as choirmaster, teacher and violin virtuoso by Carlo Antonio Spinola
Carlo Antonio Spinola
Carlo Filippo Antonio Spinola y Colonna, 4th marquis of the Balbases, , Viceroy of Sicily, 1707–1713, during the European military conflict known as Spanish Succession War holding the kingdom of Sicily for pretender, after recognized as king of Spain, Philip V of Spain...
, Marquis of los Balbases (the Viceroy
Viceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
of Sicily
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,...
). In 1708, Spinola Virrey transferred his residence to Messina, and Facco followed him. In Messina he composed The Fight between the Mercy and the Incredulity. In 1710 he presented, in Messina Cathedral, his work The Augury of Victories, dedicated to King Felipe V.
In a report dated 22 January 1720, the Patriarch of the Indies, Cardinal Carlos de Borja de Centelles and Ponce of León, Archbishop of Trebisonda, wrote that Facco had an excellent pay in the Court of the King of Spain (having rejected an offer, of equal pay, by the Portuguese Court), where Spinola was Ambassador of King Felipe V. On 9 February Facco was named Clavichord
Clavichord
The clavichord is a European stringed keyboard instrument known from the late Medieval, through the Renaissance, Baroque and Classical eras. Historically, it was widely used as a practice instrument and as an aid to composition, not being loud enough for larger performances. The clavichord produces...
Master to the Prince of Asturias, the Infant Luis, the future King Luis I. Facco subsequently became Clavichord Master to the infant Prince of Asturias (future king Fernando VI), and, since 1 October 1731, to the infant Don Carlos (future king Carlos III).
In 1720, when Facco was considered one of the best composers of the time, the city council of Madrid commissioned him to compose an opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
on a libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
by Jose de Cañizares
José de Cañizares
José de Cañizares y Suárez was a Spanish playwright. Cavalry officer, public official, and author of around one hundred works, he was one of the most important dramatists of the early 18th century.-Life:...
. The opera was titled Love is all Invention, or, Jupiter and Amphitrion, and was released in the Coliseo of the Good Retirement. It was dedicated to Saints Martha and Mary to celebrate the marriage of Facco's student, Prince de Asturias, and Isabel of Orleans (which occurred in January 1721).
Facco fell victim of his scheming colleagues: he slowly lost all of his positions until, in the last years of his life, he was merely a violinist in the Orchestra of the Royal Chapel. He died in Madrid on February 16, 1753.
Works
Facco wrote a cycle of twelve concertoConcerto
A concerto is a musical work usually composed in three parts or movements, in which one solo instrument is accompanied by an orchestra.The etymology is uncertain, but the word seems to have originated from the conjunction of the two Latin words...
s for violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, strings and organ with the title of Pensieri Adriarmonici (Thoughts Adriarmonicous), published in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, the first book in 1716 and the second in 1718. He also wrote solo cantatas—on his own texts, for he was a skilled poet—these were found at the National Library of Paris, and were presented by 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...
Betty Fabila
Betty Fabila
Betty Fabila is a retired Mexican soprano opera singer and biologist.Born in Mexico City, she studied at Mexico's National Conservatory of Music and the National School of Music at the National Autonomous University of Mexico under the baritone David Silva...
for the first time (conducted by Uberto Zanolli
Uberto Zanolli
Uberto Zanolli , the son of Amelia Pìa Balugani Vecchi and Luigi Zanolli Marcolini, was an Italo-Mexican composer, conductor and writer;...
) in 1962 at the Castle of Chapultepec
Chapultepec
Chapultepec Park, more commonly called the "Bosque de Chapultepec" in Mexico City, is the largest city park in Latin America, measuring in total just over 686 hectares. Centered on a rock formation called Chapultepec Hill, one of the park's main functions is to be an ecological space in the vast...
in Mexico City.
Facco must have composed numerous sacred works for the Royal Chapel in Madrid, but this music was probably destroyed, along with many other compositions, in the fire of 1734.
Much of the information about Facco's life and works was discovered by Uberto Zanolli, an Italian-Mexican composer who found Facco's Pensieri Adriarmonici at the Vizcain Library in Mexico City in 1962. Since then, Zanolli has worked on putting together a biography of Facco and a musicological recovery of his work. Among other finds was Facco's birth certificate.
Operas
- Le regine di Macedonia (1710)
- I rivali generosi (1712)
- Penelope la casta, Act 3 only (1713; rest by P. Pizzolo)
- Amor es todo imbención: Júpiter y Amphitrión (1721)
- Amor aumenta el valor, loa and Act 1 only (1728; Act 2 by José de NebraJosé de NebraJosé Melchor Baltasar Gaspar Nebra Blasco was a Spanish composer.José de Nebra was born in Calatayud and was taught by his father, José Antonio Nebra Mezquita , organist and master of choirboys at the Cathedral of Cuenca 1711-1729...
, Act 3 by Philipo Falconi)
Solo cantatas on Italian texts
- Bella leggiadra Armida
- Clori pur troppo bella
- Emireno d'Egitto
- In grembo ai fiori
- Menzognere speranze
- Or che spunta
- Perchè dici ch'io t'amo
- Sentimi amor
- Vidi su molli erbette
Solo cantatas on Spanish texts
- Bella rosa
- El trinar
- O qué brillar, cantata a la Virgen Maria
- Si el ave, si la fiera y si la planta
Dialogues and serenades
- Il convito fatto da Giuseppe ai fratelli in Egitto, dialogo for 4 voices and instruments (1705)
- Augurio di vittorie alla Sacra Real Cattolica Maestà di Filippo V, serenata (1710)
- La contesa tra la pietà e l’incredulità decisa da Maria Vergine, dialogo (1710)
- Festejo para los días de la reyna, serenata for 4 voices and instruments (1722)
- Serenata (Cañizares) for Philip V of Portugal, for 6 voices and instruments (1728)
Instrumental music
- Pensieri adriarmonici, o vero Concerti a 5, 12 concertos for 3 violins, viola, cello and harpsichord, op. 1 (1720–21)
- A Select Concerto [...] chose from the Works of Giacomo Facco (1 concerto published in London, 1734)
- a piece published in L'art de se perfectionner dans le violin (Paris, 1782)
- 5 suites and a sinfonia for 2 cellos
- 9 sinfonias and 2 sonatas for 2 cellos (attribution doubtful)