Giovanni Gentile (composer)
Encyclopedia
Giovanni Gentile was an Italian composer and music teacher.
1642); and the inventory of printed works in the workshop of the Roman printer Sebastiano Testa.
In the teaching-collection's frontispiece, Gentile is called "Signor Giovanni Gentile of Olevano", which means he was a layman not a clergyman, and that his birthplace was Olevano Romano
(the existence of another Olevano, in Lomellina, may make even the second of these facts doubtful, but the fact that Gentile's artistic career only appears in Rome
makes Olevano Romano more likely to be correct).
As regards his teaching activity, the inclusion of solfeggiamenti a due (solfège
s for two voices) in its title is the only clue, along with the record in the aforementioned inventory, that on the date of 13 December 1729 reports: "Giovanni Gentile was from 1645-49 registered as a musician at Santo Stefano del Cacco
(Rome), along with 3 grandchildren and some guests, possibly his student. In the vicinity of that church was the printer Ludovico Grignani, who in 1642 published Gentile's Solfeggi e ricercari a 2 voci". We also have a record of a grandson and a guest in the Solfeggiamenti: its dedication to cardinal Francesco Maria Brancaccio
is signed by the student Marco Aurelio Desideri, who also composed the fourteenth and last solfeggio, whilst the following one is "by Signor Carlo Gentile, Grandson and Pupil (Discepolo) of the author".
Life and works
Two sources survive for his life and works : his only surviving work, a teaching-collection of music entitled Solfeggiamenti et ricercari a due voci (Lodovico Grignani, RomeRome
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...
1642); and the inventory of printed works in the workshop of the Roman printer Sebastiano Testa.
In the teaching-collection's frontispiece, Gentile is called "Signor Giovanni Gentile of Olevano", which means he was a layman not a clergyman, and that his birthplace was Olevano Romano
Olevano Romano
Olevano Romano is a comune in the Province of Rome in the Italian region Latium, located about 45 km east of Rome.It is the probable birthplace of the composer Giovanni Gentile....
(the existence of another Olevano, in Lomellina, may make even the second of these facts doubtful, but the fact that Gentile's artistic career only appears in 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...
makes Olevano Romano more likely to be correct).
As regards his teaching activity, the inclusion of solfeggiamenti a due (solfège
Solfege
In music, solfège is a pedagogical solmization technique for the teaching of sight-singing in which each note of the score is sung to a special syllable, called a solfège syllable...
s for two voices) in its title is the only clue, along with the record in the aforementioned inventory, that on the date of 13 December 1729 reports: "Giovanni Gentile was from 1645-49 registered as a musician at Santo Stefano del Cacco
Santo Stefano del Cacco
Santo Stefano de Pinea or more commonly Santo Stefano del Cacco is a church in Rome dedicated to Saint Stephen, located at Via di Santo Stefano del Cacco 26.-Name:...
(Rome), along with 3 grandchildren and some guests, possibly his student. In the vicinity of that church was the printer Ludovico Grignani, who in 1642 published Gentile's Solfeggi e ricercari a 2 voci". We also have a record of a grandson and a guest in the Solfeggiamenti: its dedication to cardinal Francesco Maria Brancaccio
Francesco Maria Brancaccio
Francesco Maria Brancaccio was an Italian cardinal.He was elevated to the rank of cardinal by Pope Urban VIII in his consistory of 28 November 1633. He became Bishop of Viterbo in 1638, then of Sabina , and finally of Frascati...
is signed by the student Marco Aurelio Desideri, who also composed the fourteenth and last solfeggio, whilst the following one is "by Signor Carlo Gentile, Grandson and Pupil (Discepolo) of the author".