Part 19

The first Caution against imitating injudiciously the Instrumental with the Voice.

The Italians have a Saying, Voce di Compositore, to denote a bad or an indifferent Voice.

Cantabile, the Tender, Passionate, Pathetick; more Singing than Allegro, which is Lively, Brisk, Gay, and more in the executive Way.

Suppose the first Part expressed Anger, and the second relented, and was to express Pity or Compassion, he must be angry again in the Da Capo. This often happens, and is very ridiculous if not done to a real Purpose, and that the Subject and Poetry require it.

It is supposed, the Scholar is arrived to the Capacity of knowing Harmony and Counterpoint.

The general dividing of Airs described, to which the Author often refers.

With due Deference to our Author, it may be feared, that the Affectation of Singing with Variety has conduced very much to the introducing a bad Taste.

Continuation of the general dividing Airs in § 4. The End of this Section is a seasonable Corrective of the Rule prescribed in the foregoing fifth Section.

Rivani, called Ciecolino, must have written some Treatise on Time, which is not come to us, therefore no further Account can be given of him.

Pistochi was very famous above fifty Years ago, and refined the Manner of singing in Italy, which was then a little crude. His Merit in this is acknowledged by all his Countrymen, contradicted by none. Briefly, what is recounted of him, is, that when he first appeared to the World, and a Youth, he had a very fine treble Voice, admired and encouraged universally, but by a dissolute Life lost it, and his Fortune. Being reduced to the utmost Misery, he entered into the Service of a Composer, as a Copyist, where he made use of the Opportunity of learning the Rules of Composition, and became a good Proficient. After some Years, he recovered a little Glimpse of Voice, which by Time and Practice turned into a fine Contr'Alto. Having Experience on his Side, he took Care of it, and as Encouragement came again, he took the Opportunity of travelling all Europe over, where hearing the different Manners and Tastes, he appropriated them to himself, and formed that agreeable Mixture, which he produced in Italy, where he was imitated and admired. He at last past many Years, when in an affluent Fortune, at the Court of Anspach, where he had a Stipend, and lived an agreeable easy Life; and at last retired to a Convent in Italy. It has been remark'd, that though several of his Disciples shewed the Improvement they had from him, yet others made an ill use of it, having not a little contributed to the Introduction of the modern Taste.

Sifacio, famous beyond any, for the most singular Beauty of his Voice. His Manner of Singing was remarkably plain, consisting particularly in the Messa di Voce, the putting forth his Voice, and the Expression.

There is an Italian Saying, that an hundred Perfections are required in an excellent Singer, and he that hath a fine Voice has ninety-nine of them.

It is also certain, that as much as is allotted to Volubility and Tricks, so much is the Beauty of the Voice sacrificed; for the one cannot be done without Prejudice to the other.

Sifacio got that Name from his acting the Part of Syphax the first time he appeared on the Stage. He was in England when famous, and belonged to King James the Second's Chapel. After which he returned to Italy, continuing to be very much admired, but at last was waylaid, and murthered for his Indiscretion.

Buzzolini, the Name known, but no Particulars of him.

Litigino, in the Service of the Emperor Joseph, and a Scholar of Pistochi.

Signora Boschi was over in England in Queen Anne's Time; she sung one Season in the Opera's, returned to Venice, and left her Husband behind for several Years; he sung the Bass. She was a Mistress of Musick, but her Voice was on the Decay when she came here.

Santini, afterwards Signora Lotti. She was famous above forty Years ago, and appeared at several Courts in Germany, where she was sent for; then retired to Venice, where she married Signor Lotti, Chapel-Master of St. Mark.

All these Singers, though they had a Talent particular to themselves, they could, however, sing in several sorts of Stile; on the contrary, one finds few, but what attempt nothing that is out of their Way. A modern Singer of the good Stile, being asked, whether such and such Compositions would not please at present in Italy? No doubt, said he, they would, but where are the Singers that can sing them?

Those tremendous Airs are called in Italian, un Aria di Bravura; which cannot perhaps be better translated into English, than a Hectoring Song.

Pierre Simone Agostini lived about threescore Years ago. Several Cantata's of his Composition are extant, some of them very difficult, not from the Number of Divisions in the vocal Part, but from the Expression, and the surprising Incidents, and also the Execution of the Basses. He seems to be the first that put Basses with so much Vivacity; for Charissimi before him composed with more Simplicity, tho' he is reckoned to be one of the first, who enlivened his Musick in the Movements of his Basses. Of Pierre-Simone nothing more is known but that he loved his Bottle, and when he had run up a Bill in some favourite Place, he composed a Cantata, and sent it to a certain Cardinal, who never failed sending him a fixed Sum, with which he paid off his Score.

Alessandro Stradella lived about Pier. Simone's Time, or very little after. He was a most excellent Composer, superior in all Respects to the foregoing, and endowed with distinguishing personal Qualifications. It is reported, that his favourite Instrument was the Harp, with which he sometimes accompanied his Voice, which was agreeable. To hear such a Composer play on the Harp, must have been what we can have no Notion of, by what we now hear. He ended his Life fatally, for he was murthered. The Fact is thus related. Being at Genoa, a Place where the Ladies are allowed to live with more Freedom than in any other Part of Italy, Stradella had the honour of being admitted into a noble Family, the Lady whereof was a great Lover of Musick. Her Brother, a wrong-headed Man, takes Umbrage at Stradella's frequent Visits there, and forbids him going upon his Peril, which Order Stradella obeys. The Lady's Husband not having seen Stradella at his House for some Days, reproaches him with it. Stradella, for his Excuse, tells him his Brother-in-Law's Order, which the Nobleman is angry with, and charges him to continue his Visits as formerly; he had been there scarce three or four Times, but one Evening going Home, attended by a Servant and a Lanthorn, four Ruffians rushed out, the Lady's Brother one among them, and with Stiletts or Daggers stabb'd him, and left him dead upon the Place. The people of Genoa all in a Rage fought for the Murtherer, who was forced to fly, his Quality not being able to protect him. In another Account of him, this Particularity is mentioned; that the Murderers pursued him to Rome, and on Enquiry learned, that an Oratorio of his Composition was to be performed that Evening; they went with an Intent to execute their Design, but were so moved with his Composition, that they rather chose to tell him his Danger, advised him to depart, and be upon his Guard. But, being pursued by others, he lost his Life. His Fate has been lamented by every Body, especially by those who knew his Merit, and none have thought him deserving so sad a Catastrophe.

When Tosi writ this, the Composers in Vogue were Scarlatti, Bononcini, Gasparini, Mancini, &c. The last and modern Stile has pretty well spread itself all over Italy, and begins to have a great Tendency to the same beyond the Alps, as he calls it.

The Moods, here spoken of, our Author has not well explained. The Foundation he goes upon are the eight Church Moods. But his Meaning and Complaint is, that commonly the Compositions are in C, or in A, with their Transpositions, and that the others are not used or known. But to particularise here what the Moods are, and how to be used, is impossible, for that Branch only would require a large Treatise by itself.

The Airs, sung in Unison with the Instruments, were invented in the Venetian Opera's, to please the Barcaroles, who are their Watermen: and very often their Applause supports an Opera. The Roman School always distinguished itself, and required Compositions of Study and Care. How it is now at Rome is doubtful; but we do not hear that there are any Corelli's.

Maestro di Capella, Master of the Chapel, the highest Title belonging to a Master of Musick. Even now the Singers in Italy give the Composers of Opera's the Title of Signior Maestro as a Mark of their Submission.

Contrapunto, Counterpoint, or Note against Note, the first Rudiments of Composition.

Furlana. A sort of Country Dance, or Cheshire-Round.