Eighteenth Century Italian Composers, Vol. XVI

By Daniel Zimmermann

Included are the following composers: Pietro Marchitelli, Antonio Giannettini, Arcangelo Corelli, Alessandro Scarlatti, Michele Mascitti,Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni, Giuseppe Antonio Avitrano, Azzolino Bernardino della Ciaja, Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni, Francesco Mancini , Alessandro Ignazio Marcello, Giacomo Facco, Giuseppe Maria Orlandini, Antonio Maria Montanari, Giovanni Carlo Maria Clari, Giovanni Porta, Antonio Vivaldi, Pietro Castrucci, Giovanni Mossi, Paolo Benedetto Bellinzani, Pietro Baldassare, Francesco Durante, Francesco Onofrio Manfredini, Nicola Porpora, Benedetto Marcello, Pietro Gnocchi, Leonardo Vinci, Giovanni Antonio Giay, Francesco Maria Veracini, Antonio Veracini, Fortunato Chelleri, Francesco Feo, Antonio Palella, Giuseppe Tartini, Leonardo Leo, Andrea Teodoro Zani, Giuseppe de Majo, Gian Francesco de Majo, Pietro Antonio Auletta, Domenico Auletta, Riccardo Broschi, Nicola Bonifacio Logroscino, and Giovanni Benedetto Platti.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Daniel Zimmermann
• Release date: Jul 14, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005710989

Daniel Zimmermann

Daniel Zimmermann was born in Merrill, Wisconsin, and grew up in Hustisford, Wisconsin. He was graduated as valedictorian from Northwestern College, Watertown, Wisconsin. His valedictory concerned the ancient philosopher Plotinus. Special honors were third place in an Eta Sigma Phi Greek composition contest and the Doctor Ott award. He was also graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. After serving as pastor for several years, he became a free lance writer. Because of the outstanding success of his Spanish poetry in Mexico, his biography was included in Who's Who in the Midwest. He is also a former member of American Mensa. He is married to Merian, nee Ecot. The couple is residing in the Philippines. Daniel Zimmermann is the author of short stories and poetry. He also writes non-fiction, especially on literature, history, Christianity, and botany.

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Eighteenth Century Italian Composers, Vol. XVI

By Daniel Zimmermann

Chapter 1

Composers Born before 1680

Pietro Marchitelli (1643-1729)

Marchitelli was born in Villa Santa Maria, a town currently located in the province of Chieti.

He served as first violinist in the Chapel Royal of Naples. He also played in the orchestra of the Teatro San Bartolomeo.

According to Wikipedia, he was a close friend of Alessandro Scarlatti. Scarlatti happened to be the maestro di cappella of the Chapel Royal of Naples while Marchitelli was playing in its orchestra.

Marchitelli also taught music. One of his students was his nephew Michelle Mascitti, whom we shall meet below.

There are online recordings of several of his works: Concerto Grosso No. 11 in a minor, Sonata a 4 in F major, Sinfonia in g minor, Trio Sonata No. 10 in D major, Trio Sonata No. 11 in a minor, and many other trio sonatas.

Antonio Giannettini (1648-1721)

Giannettini was born in Fano, a town that lies on the coast of the Adriatic.

When history sheds some light on this mysterious being, he became a bass singer in the choir of the chapel of the San Marco Basilica in Venice. He later became a church organist, first at the Basilica of Santi Giovanni e Paolo, then at San Marco Basilica.

In 1686 he moved to Modena, where he became maestro di capella at the court of Duke Francesco II. This duke died in 1694, but Giannettini continued to work for his successor, Duke Rinaldo d’Este. In 1702 both Giannettini and the duke fled from Modena because the French occupied the city during the War of the Spanish Succession, but they returned after the French were expelled in 1707.

During the final year of his life, Giannettini went to Munich, where he died.

He composed operas, oratorios, cantatas, motets, psalm settings, etc.

Online is a setting of Psalm 126 of the Latin Vulgate, which begins with the word Nisi Dominus.

One of his oratorios was L’uomo in Bivio, which I would translate The Man at the Crossroads. However, a modern recording assumes that the protagonist is a boy and assigns the role to a female voice. There is an advantage to this approach. It is the young who usually stand at the crossroads of life.

The other characters are the narrator, an angel, and the devil. The angel encourages the boy to lead a life of faith. I’m sure you know what the devil tries to do, so I do not have to tell you.

Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713)

Corelli was born in Fusignano, a town located between Bologna and Ravenna. It is fairly close to Ravenna as the crow flies. It belonged to the Papal States when Corelli was born.

There is ample evidence that he spent time in Bologna. It is thought that he studied there and became a member of the Accademia Filarmonica.

By 1675 he was in Rome. His activities there included playing for Christina, the former queen of Sweden who was living in Rome. He also worked for Cardinal Benedetto Pamphili and played violin in the orchestra of the chapel of San Luigi dei