Music of Venice
Encyclopedia
The city of Venice
in Italy has played an important role in the development of the music of Italy
. The Venetian state—i.e. the medieval Maritime Republic of Venice
—was often popularly called the "Republic of Music", and an anonymous Frenchman of the 17th century is said to have remarked that "In every home, someone is playing a musical instrument or singing. There is music everywhere."
Introduction
The rich history of music in Venice extends back to the founding of the city in the early middle ages, although relatively little is known about music prior to the fifteenth century. Because of the wide geographical span of its trade relations with both the East and the West, it was continuously influenced by styles that originated in many parts of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Although Venice bred a great many musicians of rare skill, the Republic frequently searched for talented performers and composers through diplomatic networks.
Important chapters in the development of instrumental music (for lute
and for organ
in the sixteenth century, for instrumental ensemble in the seventeenth, and for virtuoso
performance in the eighteenth) were written in Venice. The institution of opera theaters which were first open to a fee-paying public in 1637 followed a long period of private performance before noble audiences of plays with musical numbers. The relationship of these commedie to early opera remain a little explored area. Festive church music, often performed before the same select audiences as private concerts of instrumental and vocal music, was what many visitors remembers the longest.
The many transformations that Venetian culture underwent in connection with the collapse of the Republic (1797), the turbulence of Napoleonic rule, the strictures of Austrian administration, and the vicissitudes of the Italian state (since 1866) have left their distinct marks on the music made in Venice. Venice has remained an important venue of the gestation of new music through the activities of such composers as Nino Rota
. Luigi Nono
, and several others. The Veneto
continues to breed musicians and ensembles of the highest rank. Among them, Venice Baroque has stood out for its diligent efforts to invest long-forgotten music, written to attest to the glories of the Most Serene [Venetian] Republic, with enlightened performance and the possibility of preservation through recording.
Church Music
Venice developed a distinctive tradition of church music. There were services with elaborate music at St Mark's Basilica
and other buildings in the city. The seminal Venetian composer to emerge from the creative milieu was Claudio Monteverdi (see Vespers 1610). Others were Andrea Gabrieli
and Giovanni Gabrieli
, both known for antiphonal compositions of brass music, derived for the acoustics of San Marco Basilica. The Gabrielis established the pinnacle of brass antiphonal effect of double and triple choirs, complete with dynamic markings, and spatial location direction. Brass players to this day remain indebted to the Gabrielis for their contributions to the literature. The Sacrae Symphoniae (1597) and Canzoni (1608) are among the first published works of music.
Opera in Venice
While early opera of the late 1590s was put on for private audiences in Florence
, opera as a commercial endeavor started in Venice
in the 1630s with performances in the new Teatro Tron
in the parish of S. Cassiano, the first opera house ever opened to the public. A second theater, the Teatro di SS. Giovanni e Paolo
was also opened for opera. Then in 1640 came the Teatro San Moisè
and in 1641 the Teatro Novissimo. Crucial to the successful beginnings of opera in Venice was the presence of Claudio Monteverdi
whose move to that city from Mantua
in 1613 rejuvenated the musical life of Venice. The success of Monteverdi and opera in Venice led directly to the opening of similar theaters elsewhere in Italy. In Naples, for example, the first opera house, the San Bartolomeo Theater was opened in 1621, when the public was invited to hear the "new music from the north"—"musica Veneziana" (Venetian music).
In Venice, the opera season corresponded to the Carnevale
—that is, the weeks leading up to Lent
. Operatic productions decreased a bit in the late 17th century but picked up as the finances of the music industry in Venice were reorganized, which is to say that the theaters started charging prices that more people could afford!
The social function of the opera and the timing of the opera season in Venice go hand in hand. Carnevale was a time of the year when Venice was an international meeting ground, a time when matters besides music were discussed, even at the opera. Theaters were forums for the rich and powerful to discuss the present and the future of the Venetian Republic in its wars against the Turks, for example.
Orphanages
Historically, the four most important "hospitals" in the Republic of Venice (besides caring for the sick and elderly) were, in fact, orphanages where young children might be taught a useful trade. One of these trades was music; thus, the hospitals developed into true music conservatories of the day. Antonio Vivaldi
taught at the Ospedale della Pietà
. (Compare the similar function of Spanish orphanages/conservatories in Naples
.
The best-known opera house in Venice and one of the most famous in the world is La Fenice
, built in 1786. After a disastrous fire in 1996, it was rebuilt and is again open. The theater hosts many of the musical events for the Venice Biennale, a running festival of art, music, architecture, dance, cinema and music. The Biennale was started in the 1890s and has developed a reputation as an important venue for modern composers and contemporary music. Other venues for the Biennale are the Teatro Piccolo Arsenale, Teatro alle Tese, and the Teatro Verde.
The city has a music conservatory, named for Benedetto Marcello
. It stems from the 1870s and is currently housed in Palazzo Piani, a prominent villa from the 17th century. The Basilica of San Marco, one of the most recognizable buildings in the world, has had choirmasters since 1318 (!), including names such as Claudio Monteverdi
. The chapel library of San Library is a treasure trove of medieval music manuscripts.
much of, Antonio Vivaldi
's manuscripts are preserved by the Giorgio Cini foundation in the premises of the Antonio Vivaldi Foundation on the tiny island of San Giorgio. The island is home to a number of other musical foundations and is an important site for classical concerts during the year. One of the most important organizations for music research and preservation is the Ugo and Olga Levi Foundation; the foundation sponsors the Fenice Archives. It is worth noting that the recent restoration of the La Fenice opera house was possible largely because of historical documents, drawings and plans still conserved by the foundation. The city also hosts an annual series of lectures and concerts dedicated to composer Richard Wagner
.
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...
in Italy has played an important role in the development of the music of Italy
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...
. The Venetian state—i.e. the medieval Maritime Republic of 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...
—was often popularly called the "Republic of Music", and an anonymous Frenchman of the 17th century is said to have remarked that "In every home, someone is playing a musical instrument or singing. There is music everywhere."
Historical background
The rich history of music in Venice extends back to the founding of the city in the early middle ages, although relatively little is known about music prior to the fifteenth century. Because of the wide geographical span of its trade relations with both the East and the West, it was continuously influenced by styles that originated in many parts of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Although Venice bred a great many musicians of rare skill, the Republic frequently searched for talented performers and composers through diplomatic networks.
Important chapters in the development of instrumental music (for lute
Lute
Lute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back, or more specifically to an instrument from the family of European lutes....
and for organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
in the sixteenth century, for instrumental ensemble in the seventeenth, and for virtuoso
Virtuoso
A virtuoso is an individual who possesses outstanding technical ability in the fine arts, at singing or playing a musical instrument. The plural form is either virtuosi or the Anglicisation, virtuosos, and the feminine form sometimes used is virtuosa...
performance in the eighteenth) were written in Venice. The institution of opera theaters which were first open to a fee-paying public in 1637 followed a long period of private performance before noble audiences of plays with musical numbers. The relationship of these commedie to early opera remain a little explored area. Festive church music, often performed before the same select audiences as private concerts of instrumental and vocal music, was what many visitors remembers the longest.
The many transformations that Venetian culture underwent in connection with the collapse of the Republic (1797), the turbulence of Napoleonic rule, the strictures of Austrian administration, and the vicissitudes of the Italian state (since 1866) have left their distinct marks on the music made in Venice. Venice has remained an important venue of the gestation of new music through the activities of such composers as Nino Rota
Nino Rota
Nino Rota was an Italian composer and academic who is best known for his film scores, notably for the films of Federico Fellini and Luchino Visconti...
. Luigi Nono
Luigi Nono
Luigi Nono was an Italian avant-garde composer of classical music and remains one of the most prominent composers of the 20th century.- Early years :Born in Venice, he was a member of a wealthy artistic family, and his grandfather was a notable painter...
, and several others. The Veneto
Veneto
Veneto is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about 5 million, ranking 5th in Italy.Veneto had been for more than a millennium an independent state, the Republic of Venice, until it was eventually annexed by Italy in 1866 after brief Austrian and French rule...
continues to breed musicians and ensembles of the highest rank. Among them, Venice Baroque has stood out for its diligent efforts to invest long-forgotten music, written to attest to the glories of the Most Serene [Venetian] Republic, with enlightened performance and the possibility of preservation through recording.
Church Music
Venice developed a distinctive tradition of church music. There were services with elaborate music at St Mark's Basilica
St Mark's Basilica
The Patriarchal Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mark is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice, northern Italy. It is the most famous of the city's churches and one of the best known examples of Byzantine architecture...
and other buildings in the city. The seminal Venetian composer to emerge from the creative milieu was Claudio Monteverdi (see Vespers 1610). Others were Andrea Gabrieli
Andrea Gabrieli
Andrea Gabrieli was an Italian composer and organist of the late Renaissance. The uncle of the somewhat more famous Giovanni Gabrieli, he was the first internationally renowned member of the Venetian School of composers, and was extremely influential in spreading the Venetian style in Italy as...
and Giovanni Gabrieli
Giovanni Gabrieli
Giovanni Gabrieli was an Italian composer and organist. He was one of the most influential musicians of his time, and represents the culmination of the style of the Venetian School, at the time of the shift from Renaissance to Baroque idioms.-Biography:Gabrieli was born in Venice...
, both known for antiphonal compositions of brass music, derived for the acoustics of San Marco Basilica. The Gabrielis established the pinnacle of brass antiphonal effect of double and triple choirs, complete with dynamic markings, and spatial location direction. Brass players to this day remain indebted to the Gabrielis for their contributions to the literature. The Sacrae Symphoniae (1597) and Canzoni (1608) are among the first published works of music.
Opera in Venice
While early opera of the late 1590s was put on for private audiences in 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....
, opera as a commercial endeavor started 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...
in the 1630s with performances in the new Teatro Tron
Teatro San Cassiano
The Teatro San Cassiano or Teatro di San Cassiano in Venice was the first public opera house when it opened in 1637. The theatre takes its name from the neighbourhood where it was located, the parish of San Cassiano near the Rialto. It was a stone building owned by the Venetian Tron family...
in the parish of S. Cassiano, the first opera house ever opened to the public. A second theater, the Teatro di SS. Giovanni e Paolo
Teatro Santi Giovanni e Paolo
The Teatro Santi Giovanni e Paolo was a theatre and opera house in Venice located on the Calle della Testa, and takes its name from the nearby Basilica of Santi Giovanni e Paolo, Venice. Built by the Grimani family in 1638, in its heyday it was considered the most beautiful and comfortable theatre...
was also opened for opera. Then in 1640 came the Teatro San Moisè
Teatro San Moisè
The Teatro San Moisè was an opera house in Venice, active from 1640 to 1818. It was in a prominent location near the Palazzo Giustinian and the church of San Moisè at the entrance to the Grand Canal....
and in 1641 the Teatro Novissimo. Crucial to the successful beginnings of opera in Venice was the presence of Claudio 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...
whose move to that city from 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...
in 1613 rejuvenated the musical life of Venice. The success of Monteverdi and opera in Venice led directly to the opening of similar theaters elsewhere in Italy. In Naples, for example, the first opera house, the San Bartolomeo Theater was opened in 1621, when the public was invited to hear the "new music from the north"—"musica Veneziana" (Venetian music).
In Venice, the opera season corresponded to the Carnevale
Carnival of Venice
The Carnival of Venice is an annual festival, held in Venice, Italy. The Carnival starts 40 days before easter and ends on Shrove Tuesday , the day before Ash Wednesday.-History:...
—that is, the weeks leading up to Lent
Lent
In the Christian tradition, Lent is the period of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer – through prayer, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial – for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and...
. Operatic productions decreased a bit in the late 17th century but picked up as the finances of the music industry in Venice were reorganized, which is to say that the theaters started charging prices that more people could afford!
The social function of the opera and the timing of the opera season in Venice go hand in hand. Carnevale was a time of the year when Venice was an international meeting ground, a time when matters besides music were discussed, even at the opera. Theaters were forums for the rich and powerful to discuss the present and the future of the Venetian Republic in its wars against the Turks, for example.
Orphanages
Historically, the four most important "hospitals" in the Republic of Venice (besides caring for the sick and elderly) were, in fact, orphanages where young children might be taught a useful trade. One of these trades was music; thus, the hospitals developed into true music conservatories of the day. Antonio Vivaldi
Antonio Vivaldi
Antonio Lucio Vivaldi , nicknamed because of his red hair, was an Italian Baroque composer, priest, and virtuoso violinist, born in Venice. Vivaldi is recognized as one of the greatest Baroque composers, and his influence during his lifetime was widespread over Europe...
taught at the Ospedale della Pietà
Ospedale della Pietà
The Ospedale della Pietà was a convent, orphanage, and music school in Venice.Like other Venetian ospedali, the Pietà was established as a hostel for Crusaders...
. (Compare the similar function of Spanish orphanages/conservatories in Naples
Music of Naples
Naples has played an important and vibrant role over the centuries not just in the music of Italy, but in the general history of western European musical traditions. This influence extends from the early music conservatories in the 16th century through the music of Alessandro Scarlatti during the...
.
Current venues and activities
La Fenice
Teatro La Fenice is an opera house in Venice, Italy. It is one of the most famous theatres in Europe, the site of many famous operatic premieres. Its name reflects its role in permitting an opera company to "rise from the ashes" despite losing the use of two theatres...
, built in 1786. After a disastrous fire in 1996, it was rebuilt and is again open. The theater hosts many of the musical events for the Venice Biennale, a running festival of art, music, architecture, dance, cinema and music. The Biennale was started in the 1890s and has developed a reputation as an important venue for modern composers and contemporary music. Other venues for the Biennale are the Teatro Piccolo Arsenale, Teatro alle Tese, and the Teatro Verde.
The city has a music conservatory, named for Benedetto Marcello
Benedetto Marcello
Benedetto Marcello was a Venetian composer, writer, advocate, magistrate, and teacher.-Life:...
. It stems from the 1870s and is currently housed in Palazzo Piani, a prominent villa from the 17th century. The Basilica of San Marco, one of the most recognizable buildings in the world, has had choirmasters since 1318 (!), including names such as Claudio 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...
. The chapel library of San Library is a treasure trove of medieval music manuscripts.
much of, Antonio Vivaldi
Antonio Vivaldi
Antonio Lucio Vivaldi , nicknamed because of his red hair, was an Italian Baroque composer, priest, and virtuoso violinist, born in Venice. Vivaldi is recognized as one of the greatest Baroque composers, and his influence during his lifetime was widespread over Europe...
's manuscripts are preserved by the Giorgio Cini foundation in the premises of the Antonio Vivaldi Foundation on the tiny island of San Giorgio. The island is home to a number of other musical foundations and is an important site for classical concerts during the year. One of the most important organizations for music research and preservation is the Ugo and Olga Levi Foundation; the foundation sponsors the Fenice Archives. It is worth noting that the recent restoration of the La Fenice opera house was possible largely because of historical documents, drawings and plans still conserved by the foundation. The city also hosts an annual series of lectures and concerts dedicated to composer Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
.