Angelo Michele Bartolotti
Encyclopedia
Angelo Michele Bartolotti (died before 1682) was an Italian guitarist
, theorbo
player and composer
. Bartolotti was probably born in Bologna as he describes himself as "Bolognese" on the title page of his first guitar book and "di Bologna" on the title page of his second. His early career was probably spent in Florence possibly in the service of Jacopo Salviati, Duke of Giuliano. He was amongst a group of Italian musicians invited to the Court of Queen Christina of Sweden in the early 1650s. There are records of his employment there in 1652 and 1654. On her abdication in 1655, Christina lived in Rome and Bartolotti was probably employed in her service there. In 1658 she travelled to Paris
and it is possible that Bartolotti accompanied her. He seems to have settled there and lived there until his death sometime before 1682. During his years in Italy, he published at least two collections of guitar music: Libro primo di chitarra spagnola (Florence, 1640) and Secondo libro di chitarra (Rome, c.1655). The first book contains a cycle of passacaglia
s in all major and minor keys, employing a combination of battute
and pizzicato
styles, influenced by earlier Italian guitarists such as Giovanni Paolo Foscarini
; the book also includes a ciaccona, a follia and six suites each comprising an Allemanda, Corente and Sarabanda. The second book is French-influenced, with more emphasis on pizzicato writing. Three more pieces are attributed to him in manuscripts.
Bartolotti's oeuvre comprises some of the most carefully notated (with precise indications for various playing styles, ornaments, etc.) and advanced guitar music of the period. In France, however, he was best known as a theorbo player, praised by Constantijn Huygens
and René Ouvrard
. His treatise on theorbo accompaniment (Table pour apprendre facilement à toucher le théorbe sur la basse-continuë (Paris, 1669) is among the best 17th century sources on the subject.
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, theorbo
Theorbo
A theorbo is a plucked string instrument. As a name, theorbo signifies a number of long-necked lutes with second pegboxes, such as the liuto attiorbato, the French théorbe des pièces, the English theorbo, the archlute, the German baroque lute, the angélique or angelica. The etymology of the name...
player and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
. Bartolotti was probably born in Bologna as he describes himself as "Bolognese" on the title page of his first guitar book and "di Bologna" on the title page of his second. His early career was probably spent in Florence possibly in the service of Jacopo Salviati, Duke of Giuliano. He was amongst a group of Italian musicians invited to the Court of Queen Christina of Sweden in the early 1650s. There are records of his employment there in 1652 and 1654. On her abdication in 1655, Christina lived in Rome and Bartolotti was probably employed in her service there. In 1658 she travelled to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and it is possible that Bartolotti accompanied her. He seems to have settled there and lived there until his death sometime before 1682. During his years in Italy, he published at least two collections of guitar music: Libro primo di chitarra spagnola (Florence, 1640) and Secondo libro di chitarra (Rome, c.1655). The first book contains a cycle of passacaglia
Passacaglia
The passacaglia is a musical form that originated in early seventeenth-century Spain and is still used by contemporary composers. It is usually of a serious character and is often, but not always, based on a bass-ostinato and written in triple metre....
s in all major and minor keys, employing a combination of battute
Rasgueado
Rasgueado is a guitar finger strumming technique commonly associated with flamenco guitar music. It is also used in classical and other fingerstyle guitar picking techniques...
and pizzicato
Pizzicato
Pizzicato is a playing technique that involves plucking the strings of a string instrument. The exact technique varies somewhat depending on the type of stringed instrument....
styles, influenced by earlier Italian guitarists such as Giovanni Paolo Foscarini
Giovanni Paolo Foscarini
Giovanni Paolo Foscarini was an Italian guitarist, lutenist, theorist and composer.A note at the end of the list of contents in his earliest surviving guitar book Intavolatura di chitarra spagnola. Libro secondo refers to him a Musico, e Sonatore, di Liuto e Tiorba, della Venerabile Compagnia del...
; the book also includes a ciaccona, a follia and six suites each comprising an Allemanda, Corente and Sarabanda. The second book is French-influenced, with more emphasis on pizzicato writing. Three more pieces are attributed to him in manuscripts.
Bartolotti's oeuvre comprises some of the most carefully notated (with precise indications for various playing styles, ornaments, etc.) and advanced guitar music of the period. In France, however, he was best known as a theorbo player, praised by Constantijn Huygens
Constantijn Huygens
Constantijn Huygens , was a Dutch Golden Age poet and composer. He was secretary to two Princes of Orange: Frederick Henry and William II, and the father of the scientist Christiaan Huygens.-Biography:...
and René Ouvrard
René Ouvrard
René Ouvrard was a French priest, writer and composer.Ouvrard was born in Chinon. He received orders and became kapellmeister of the cathedral of Bordeaux, Narbonne and the Sainte-Chapelle of Paris, then he was a canon in Tours. He became a priest in 1862...
. His treatise on theorbo accompaniment (Table pour apprendre facilement à toucher le théorbe sur la basse-continuë (Paris, 1669) is among the best 17th century sources on the subject.