Girolamo Belli
Encyclopedia
Girolamo Belli was an Italian
composer and music teacher of the late Renaissance
. He was closely associated with the Ferrara School in the 1580s, having previously studied with Luzzasco Luzzaschi
, and was noted for his composition of both madrigals
and sacred music.
, a town southeast of Ferrara
, between Ferrara and Ravenna
, and received some of his early music instruction from Luzzaschi. In his youth he went to Mantua
, to sing in the Duke's private court establishment, and later he went to Rome
. Sometime around 1580 he went to Ferrara, which contained, at the court of the Este
family, one of the most progressive musical establishments of the late 16th century, and there he began to write madrigals in the pre-Baroque
, monodic
style of Luzzaschi.
Evidently Belli attempted to secure permanent employment at the Ferrara court, but he seems to have been unsuccessful. During the late 1580s he may have worked again for the Gonzaga
s in Mantua, but if so, the dates are not known. For most of the remainder of his life he worked in Argenta as maestro di cappella and music teacher, but since Argenta was a relative backwater compared to Ferrara, Venice
, and the other cities in the region, Belli's fame never attained that of many of his contemporaries. Belli remained connected with Ferrara until his death, as a member of the Accademia degli Intrepidi; however after Ferrara was annexed by the Papal States
in 1597, the music scene there declined, and its avant-garde character was extinguished. Belli probably died at Argenta around 1620.
there; his secular music, especially the madrigals, are in the progressive Ferrarese style which foreshadowed the musical Baroque. Much of his music, both sacred and secular, is lost. All of his music was published at either Ferrara or Venice
.
Belli's sacred music includes psalm settings, Magnificat
s, Sacrae cantiones (sacred songs, similar to madrigali spirituali, but in Belli's case for up to 10 voices), and a lost book of masses
. Stylistically these are both contrapuntal, in the manner of Palestrina
, and occasionally polychoral
, in the manner of the Venetian School, though without the opulent use of instrumental color and echo effects characteristic of the music of the Venetians.
More famous than his sacred music, however, is his output of madrigals in the virtuoso Ferrarese style of his teacher, Luzzaschi. He published five books of madrigals for five and six voices which have survived, as well as a book of canzonette
for four voices; however at least seven books of madrigals or similar compositions have been lost. These compositions span the time from the early 1580s (his first publication was in Ferrara in 1583) to late in his life: his last publication was the ninth book of madrigals, for five voices (or instruments), in 1617, in Venice. In this last book his debt to Luzzaschi is most apparent, as four of the compositions contain extensive, and acknowledged, borrowings from his teacher.
Several madrigals from the lost books of Belli were copied by Francis Tregian the Younger
, the supposed copyist of the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book
, while in prison in England; they survive in a manuscript kept in the British Library
(GB-Lbl)
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 and music teacher 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...
. He was closely associated with the Ferrara School in the 1580s, having previously studied with Luzzasco Luzzaschi
Luzzasco Luzzaschi
Luzzasco Luzzaschi was an Italian composer, organist, and teacher of the late Renaissance. He was born and died in Ferrara, and despite evidence of travels to Rome it is assumed that Luzzaschi spent the majority of his life in his native city.As a pupil of Cipriano de Rore, Luzzaschi developed...
, and was noted for his composition of both madrigals
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....
and sacred music.
Life
Belli was born in ArgentaArgenta
-Places:Canada* Argenta, British Columbia, a community in the Regional District of Central KootenayItaly* Argenta, Emilia–Romagna, a town in the Province of FerraraUnited States* Argenta, Illinois, a village in Macon County-Other uses:...
, a town southeast of Ferrara
Ferrara
Ferrara is a city and comune in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital city of the Province of Ferrara. It is situated 50 km north-northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream of the Po River, located 5 km north...
, between Ferrara and Ravenna
Ravenna
Ravenna is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and the second largest comune in Italy by land area, although, at , it is little more than half the size of the largest comune, Rome...
, and received some of his early music instruction from Luzzaschi. In his youth he went to Mantua
Mantua
Mantua is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy and capital of the province of the same name. Mantua's historic power and influence under the Gonzaga family, made it one of the main artistic, cultural and notably musical hubs of Northern Italy and the country as a whole...
, to sing in the Duke's private court establishment, and later he 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...
. Sometime around 1580 he went to Ferrara, which contained, at the court of the Este
Este
The House of Este is a European princely dynasty. It is split into two branches; the elder is known as the House of Welf-Este or House of Welf historically rendered in English, Guelf or Guelph...
family, one of the most progressive musical establishments of the late 16th century, and there he began to write madrigals in the pre-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...
, monodic
Monody
In poetry, the term monody has become specialized to refer to a poem in which one person laments another's death....
style of Luzzaschi.
Evidently Belli attempted to secure permanent employment at the Ferrara court, but he seems to have been unsuccessful. During the late 1580s he may have worked again for the Gonzaga
House of Gonzaga
The Gonzaga family ruled Mantua in Northern Italy from 1328 to 1708.-History:In 1433, Gianfrancesco I assumed the title of Marquis of Mantua, and in 1530 Federico II received the title of Duke of Mantua. In 1531, the family acquired the Duchy of Monferrato through marriage...
s in Mantua, but if so, the dates are not known. For most of the remainder of his life he worked in Argenta as maestro di cappella and music teacher, but since Argenta was a relative backwater compared to Ferrara, 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...
, and the other cities in the region, Belli's fame never attained that of many of his contemporaries. Belli remained connected with Ferrara until his death, as a member of the Accademia degli Intrepidi; however after Ferrara was annexed by the Papal States
Papal States
The Papal State, State of the Church, or Pontifical States were among the major historical states of Italy from roughly the 6th century until the Italian peninsula was unified in 1861 by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia .The Papal States comprised territories under...
in 1597, the music scene there declined, and its avant-garde character was extinguished. Belli probably died at Argenta around 1620.
Music
Belli wrote both sacred and secular music. In general, his sacred music is in a conservative style in keeping with the years he spent in Rome, and influenced by the music of the Roman SchoolRoman School
In music history, the Roman School was a group of composers of predominantly church music, in Rome, during the 16th and 17th centuries, therefore spanning the late Renaissance and early Baroque eras. The term also refers to the music they produced...
there; his secular music, especially the madrigals, are in the progressive Ferrarese style which foreshadowed the musical Baroque. Much of his music, both sacred and secular, is lost. All of his music was published at either Ferrara or 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...
.
Belli's sacred music includes psalm settings, 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, Sacrae cantiones (sacred songs, similar to madrigali spirituali, but in Belli's case for up to 10 voices), and a lost book of masses
Mass (music)
The Mass, a form of sacred musical composition, is a choral composition that sets the invariable portions of the Eucharistic liturgy to music...
. Stylistically these are both contrapuntal, in the manner of Palestrina
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina was an Italian Renaissance composer of sacred music and the best-known 16th-century representative of the Roman School of musical composition...
, and occasionally polychoral
Venetian polychoral style
The Venetian polychoral style was a type of music of the late Renaissance and early Baroque eras which involved spatially separate choirs singing in alternation...
, in the manner of the Venetian School, though without the opulent use of instrumental color and echo effects characteristic of the music of the Venetians.
More famous than his sacred music, however, is his output of madrigals in the virtuoso Ferrarese style of his teacher, Luzzaschi. He published five books of madrigals for five and six voices which have survived, as well as a book of canzonette
Canzonetta
In music, a canzonetta was a popular Italian secular vocal composition which originated around 1560...
for four voices; however at least seven books of madrigals or similar compositions have been lost. These compositions span the time from the early 1580s (his first publication was in Ferrara in 1583) to late in his life: his last publication was the ninth book of madrigals, for five voices (or instruments), in 1617, in Venice. In this last book his debt to Luzzaschi is most apparent, as four of the compositions contain extensive, and acknowledged, borrowings from his teacher.
Several madrigals from the lost books of Belli were copied by Francis Tregian the Younger
Francis Tregian the Younger
Francis Tregian the Younger was the son of the Catholic exile Francis Tregian the Elder .He was educated in France, and in 1592 obtained a position in Rome as chamberlain to Cardinal William Allen...
, the supposed copyist of the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book
Fitzwilliam Virginal Book
The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book is a primary source of keyboard music from the late Elizabethan and early Jacobean periods in England, i.e., the late Renaissance and very early Baroque. It takes its name from Viscount Fitzwilliam who bequeathed this manuscript collection to Cambridge University in 1816...
, while in prison in England; they survive in a manuscript kept in the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
(GB-Lbl)