Girolamo Bacchini
Encyclopedia
Girolamo Bacchini was an Italian castrato
, composer
, writer on music, and Roman Catholic priest who flourished during the late 16th century and early 17th century.
es for the Palatine church of Santa Barbara at the Ducal palace, Mantua which had been built by the then reigning Duke of Mantua, Guglielmo Gonzaga. After Guglielmo's death in 1587, he continued to serve as a musician for the Mantuan Court and was active in Mantuan church circles up into the first few years of the 17th century.
In 1589 a book consisting of several of Bacchini's masses for 5 or 6 voices was published in Mantua. He was also the author of a treatise on music which is now lost. He became a frequent performer in entertainments for the court of Vincenzo Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua in the 1590s. In 1594 he traveled with the Duke to Regensburg
where he performed for Philipp von Bayern, the Bishop of Regensburg
. In 1595 he accompanied the Duke on his first campaign against the Ottoman Empire
in southern Hungary
; a trip which also included the company of composer Claudio Monteverdi
and poet Giambattista Marino.
It is speculated that Bacchini sang the role of Euridice in the world premiere of Moneteverdi's L'Orfeo at the court of Prince Francesco Gonzaga of Mantua
in 1607. This is based on a 1608 letter to Vincenzo Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua which refers to "that little priest who performed the role of Euridice in the Most Serene Prince's Orfeo". However, musicologist Tim Carter
points out that by 1607 Bacchini had already left the service of the Mantuan Court and, while he may possibly have returned as a guest artist, it is plausible that another unknown individual portrayed the part.
Castrato
A castrato is a man with a singing voice equivalent to that of a soprano, mezzo-soprano, or contralto voice produced either by castration of the singer before puberty or one who, because of an endocrinological condition, never reaches sexual maturity.Castration before puberty prevents a boy's...
, 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...
, writer on music, and Roman Catholic priest who flourished during the late 16th century and early 17th century.
Life and career
Bacchini was a carmelite monk who was highly active in church circles in Mantua from the late 1580s into the early part of the 17th century. During the 1580s he composed numerous massMass (music)
The Mass, a form of sacred musical composition, is a choral composition that sets the invariable portions of the Eucharistic liturgy to music...
es for the Palatine church of Santa Barbara at the Ducal palace, Mantua which had been built by the then reigning Duke of Mantua, Guglielmo Gonzaga. After Guglielmo's death in 1587, he continued to serve as a musician for the Mantuan Court and was active in Mantuan church circles up into the first few years of the 17th century.
In 1589 a book consisting of several of Bacchini's masses for 5 or 6 voices was published in Mantua. He was also the author of a treatise on music which is now lost. He became a frequent performer in entertainments for the court of Vincenzo Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua in the 1590s. In 1594 he traveled with the Duke to Regensburg
Regensburg
Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...
where he performed for Philipp von Bayern, the Bishop of Regensburg
Bishops of Regensburg
The Bishops of Regensburg are bishops of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany. The seat of the bishops is Regensburg Cathedral.-History:...
. In 1595 he accompanied the Duke on his first campaign against the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
in southern Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
; a trip which also included the company of composer 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...
and poet Giambattista Marino.
It is speculated that Bacchini sang the role of Euridice in the world premiere of Moneteverdi's L'Orfeo at the court of Prince Francesco Gonzaga of Mantua
Francesco Gonzaga
Francesco Gonzaga was an Italian nobleman, who was Duke of Ariano.-Biography:He was brother of the Cardinal Gianvincenzo Gonzaga, nephew of Cardinal Ercole Gonzaga and of Francesco III Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua....
in 1607. This is based on a 1608 letter to Vincenzo Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua which refers to "that little priest who performed the role of Euridice in the Most Serene Prince's Orfeo". However, musicologist Tim Carter
Tim Carter (musicologist)
Tim Carter is an Australian musicologist with a special focus on late Renaissance music and Italian Baroque music. An active member of the field of musicology, Carter is presently a department chair at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where he holds the position of David G. Frey...
points out that by 1607 Bacchini had already left the service of the Mantuan Court and, while he may possibly have returned as a guest artist, it is plausible that another unknown individual portrayed the part.