Stefano Venturi del Nibbio
Encyclopedia
Stefano Venturi del Nibbio (fl.
1592–1600) was an Italian composer of the late Renaissance, active in Venice and Florence. In addition to composing madrigals in a relatively conservative style, works which were published as far away as England, he collaborated with Giulio Caccini
on one of the earliest operas, Il rapimento di Cefalo
(1600).
Very little is known about Venturi del Nibbio's life. In 1592 he was in Venice, presumably to supervise the printing of his first two books of madrigals (Il primo libro de madrigali, and Il primo libro de madrigali pastorali, both for five voices), and in 1593 or 1594 he moved to Florence. After 1594 his known musical connections are all Florentine, and no unambiguous mentions of his name after 1600 have yet been found.
He had a reputation as a skilful composer of vocal music, both secular and sacred, in the conservative polyphonic style in a time and place in which a new musical style was quickly developing: monody
, and the stile rappresentativo, developments which in retrospect demarcated the beginning of the Baroque
era in music. In 1600 he collaborated with one of the chief practitioners of this new style, Caccini, in the music for the opera Il rapimento di Cefalo, by composing two choruses; since they are lost along with most of the music for the opera, it is not known to what degree they may have borrowed from the new musical language. Also in 1600, Venturi wrote some sacred music, for two choirs, for the nuptial banquet celebrated in the Duomo
on 5 October for the marriage of Henri IV of France and Maria de' Medici.
Venturi published a total of five books of madrigals. The earliest book, Il primo libro de madrigali of 1592, included two madrigals which were published in London with English words, one by Thomas Morley
in his 1598 Madrigals to Five Voyces. In the introduction to the book Morley praised the work, and Venturi himself, as an exemplary composer of madrigals.
Floruit
Floruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...
1592–1600) was an Italian composer of the late Renaissance, active in Venice and Florence. In addition to composing madrigals in a relatively conservative style, works which were published as far away as England, he collaborated with Giulio Caccini
Giulio Caccini
Giulio Caccini , also known as Giulio Romano, was an Italian composer, teacher, singer, instrumentalist and writer of the very late Renaissance and early Baroque eras. He was one of the founders of the genre of opera, and one of the single most influential creators of the new Baroque style...
on one of the earliest operas, Il rapimento di Cefalo
Il rapimento di Cefalo
Il rapimento di Cefalo was one of the first Italian operas. Most of the music was written by Giulio Caccini but Stefano Venturi del Nibbio, Luca Bati and Piero Strozzi also contributed...
(1600).
Very little is known about Venturi del Nibbio's life. In 1592 he was in Venice, presumably to supervise the printing of his first two books of madrigals (Il primo libro de madrigali, and Il primo libro de madrigali pastorali, both for five voices), and in 1593 or 1594 he moved to Florence. After 1594 his known musical connections are all Florentine, and no unambiguous mentions of his name after 1600 have yet been found.
He had a reputation as a skilful composer of vocal music, both secular and sacred, in the conservative polyphonic style in a time and place in which a new musical style was quickly developing: monody
Monody
In poetry, the term monody has become specialized to refer to a poem in which one person laments another's death....
, and the stile rappresentativo, developments which in retrospect demarcated the beginning of the 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...
era in music. In 1600 he collaborated with one of the chief practitioners of this new style, Caccini, in the music for the opera Il rapimento di Cefalo, by composing two choruses; since they are lost along with most of the music for the opera, it is not known to what degree they may have borrowed from the new musical language. Also in 1600, Venturi wrote some sacred music, for two choirs, for the nuptial banquet celebrated in the Duomo
Duomo
Duomo is a term for a cathedral church. The formal word for a church that is presently a cathedral is cattedrale; a Duomo may be either a present or a former cathedral . Some, like the Duomo of Monza, have never been cathedrals, although old and important...
on 5 October for the marriage of Henri IV of France and Maria de' Medici.
Venturi published a total of five books of madrigals. The earliest book, Il primo libro de madrigali of 1592, included two madrigals which were published in London with English words, one by Thomas Morley
Thomas Morley
Thomas Morley was an English composer, theorist, editor and organist of the Renaissance, and the foremost member of the English Madrigal School. He was the most famous composer of secular music in Elizabethan England and an organist at St Paul's Cathedral...
in his 1598 Madrigals to Five Voyces. In the introduction to the book Morley praised the work, and Venturi himself, as an exemplary composer of madrigals.
Further reading
- Einstein, Alfred. The Italian Madrigal. Three volumes. Princeton, New Jersey, Princeton University Press, 1949. ISBN 0-691-09112-9
- Reese, GustaveGustave ReeseGustave Reese was an American musicologist and teacher. Reese is known mainly for his work on medieval and Renaissance music, particularly with his two publications Music in the Middle Ages and Music in the Renaissance ; these two books remain the standard reference works for these two eras,...
. Music in the Renaissance. New York, W.W. Norton & Co., 1954. ISBN 0-393-09530-4