Alessandro Melani (4 February 1639 – 3 October 1703) was an Italian

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

and the brother of composer

Jacopo Melani Jacopo Melani (6 July 1623 – 18 August 1676) was an Italian composer and violinist of the Baroque era. He was born and died in Pistoia, and was the brother of composer Alessandro Melani and singer Atto Melani. Works *1655-6: Intermedi (wit ...

, and

castrato A castrato (Italian; : castrati) is a male singer who underwent castration before puberty in order to retain a singing voice equivalent to that of a soprano, mezzo-soprano, or contralto. The voice can also occur in one who, due to an endocrino ...

singer Atto Melani. Along with

Bernardo Pasquini Bernardo Pasquini (7 December 1637 – 21 November 1710) was an Italian composer of operas, oratorios, cantatas and keyboard music. A renowned virtuoso keyboard player, he was one of the most important Italian composers for harpsichord between Gir ...

and

Alessandro Scarlatti Pietro Alessandro Gaspare Scarlatti (2 May 1660 – 22 October 1725) was an Italian Baroque music, Baroque composer, known especially for his operas and chamber cantatas. He is considered the most important representative of the Neapolitan sch ...

, he was one of the leading composers active in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

during the 17th century. He is also ranked among the second school of Roman

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

composers which began with his brother's 1668 opera '' Il Girello''. He is chiefly remembered today for his large output of

liturgical music Liturgical music originated as a part of religious ceremony, and includes a number of traditions, both ancient and modern. Liturgical music is well known as a part of Catholic Mass, the Anglican Holy Communion service (or Eucharist) and Evensong, ...

that he wrote while serving in various musical posts in Rome. Of particular interest is the large number of

polychoral An antiphon (Greek ἀντίφωνον, ἀντί "opposite" and φωνή "voice") is a short chant in Christian ritual, sung as a refrain. The texts of antiphons are usually taken from the Psalms or Scripture, but may also be freely composed. T ...

motet In Western classical music, a motet is mainly a vocal musical composition, of highly diverse form and style, from high medieval music to the present. The motet was one of the preeminent polyphonic forms of Renaissance music. According to the Eng ...

s that he produced and his eight ascribed

oratorio An oratorio () is a musical composition with dramatic or narrative text for choir, soloists and orchestra or other ensemble. Similar to opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguisha ...

s. Three published collections of his liturgical music survive today along with numerous solitary motets from other published volumes. A number of original manuscripts also survive.

Biography

Born in

Pistoia Pistoia (; ) is a city and ''comune'' in the Italian region of Tuscany, the capital of a province of the same name, located about north-west of Florence and is crossed by the Ombrone Pistoiese, a tributary of the River Arno. It is a typic ...

, Melani began singing at the

Pistoia Cathedral Pistoia Cathedral, or Cathedral of Saint Zeno ( or ''Cattedrale di San Zeno'') is the main religious building of Pistoia, Tuscany, central Italy, located in the ''Piazza del Duomo'' in the centre of the city. It is the seat of the Bishop of Pist ...

at the age of 11, remaining there for ten years until he became ''

maestro di cappella ( , , ), from German (chapel) and (master), literally "master of the chapel choir", designates the leader of an ensemble of musicians. Originally used to refer to somebody in charge of music in a chapel, the term has evolved considerably in i ...

'' in Orvieto in 1663 and Ferrara in 1665. He returned to Pistoia in December 1666 to replace his brother as ''maestro di cappella'' of the cathedral in June 1667. The following October he was appointed ''maestro di cappella'' of the

Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore Santa Maria Maggiore (), also known as the Basilica of Saint Mary Major or the Basilica of Saint Mary the Great, is one of the four major papal basilicas and one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome. The largest Marian church in Rome, it is ...

in Rome. He remained there until July 1672 when he became the ''maestro'' at

San Luigi dei Francesi The Church of St. Louis of the French (, , ) is a Catholic Church, Catholic church near Piazza Navona in Rome. The church is dedicated to the patron saints of France: Virgin Mary, Dionysius the Areopagite and King Louis IX of France. The churc ...

, remaining in that role until his death 31 years later. Melani was a favorite composer of Cardinal Giulio Rospigliosi (later Pope Clement IX). The Papal conclave of 1667 commissioned him to write an opera (title now unknown) for

Carnival Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that occurs at the close of the Christian pre-Lenten period, consisting of Quinquagesima or Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Carnival typi ...

of 1668. His next opera, '' L'empio punito'' (commissioned by

Marie Mancini Anna Maria "Marie" Mancini, Princess of Paliano (28 August 1639 – 8 May 1715) was the third of the five Mancini sisters, nieces to Cardinal Mazarin who were brought to France to marry advantageously. Along with two of their female Martinozzi ...

), premiered at Carnival a year later and was notably the first opera on the subject of

Don Juan Don Juan (), also known as Don Giovanni ( Italian), is a legendary fictional Spanish libertine who devotes his life to seducing women. The original version of the story of Don Juan appears in the 1630 play (''The Trickster of Seville and t ...

. In 1686 he collaborated with Scarlatti and Pasquini on the opera ''Santa Dimna''. In 1685 he composed an

, ''Golia abbattuto'', for King John III of Poland. The work was written to celebrate the Holy League's victory against the Turks; he gained the commission through the efforts of

Pope Innocent XI Pope Innocent XI (; ; 16 May 1611 – 12 August 1689), born Benedetto Odescalchi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 21 September 1676 until his death on 12 August 1689. Political and religious tensions with ...

. This coupled with the fact that Alessandro’s nephews were made a part of the minor nobility in Tuscany around this time has caused some scholars to speculate that politics played a role in the events surrounding the 1685 commission. Melani wrote another notable oratorio in 1690, ''Lo scisma nel sacerdozio'' (now lost), for

Francesco II d'Este Francesco II d'Este (6 March 1660 – 6 September 1694) was Duke of Modena and Reggio from 1662 to 1694. Biography He was born in Modena to Alfonso IV d'Este, duke of Modena, and Laura Martinozzi, niece of Cardinal Mazarin. His sister, Mary ...

. Of all the oratorios attributed to him the most frequently performed was ''Il fratricidio di Caino''. He also enjoyed the patronage of

Ferdinando II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany Ferdinando II de' Medici (14 July 1610 – 23 May 1670) was Grand Duchy of Tuscany, grand duke of Tuscany from 1621 to 1670. He was the eldest son of Cosimo II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo II de' Medici and Archduchess Maria Mad ...

and he was listed among the "celebrated professors of music protected by the Prince of Tuscany" in 1695. He died in Rome at the age of 64.

Works

Operas * ''L'Ergenia'' (Rome, 1668) * ''L'empio punito'' (Filippo Acciaiuoli and Giovanni Filippo Apolloni; Rome, 1669) * ''Le reciproche gelosie'' (Bartolomeo Nencini; Siena, 1677) * ''Il carceriere di sé medesimo'' (

Lodovico Adimari Lodovico Adimari (3 September 164422 June 1708) was an Italian poet and playwright. Biography Adimari was born in Naples on 3 September 1644. He studied at the universities of University of Pisa, Pisa and University of Florence, Florence, and ...

; Florence, 1681) * ''Ama chi t’ama'' (Bartolomeo Nencini; Siena 1682) * ''L’Idaspe'' * ''Il conte d’Altamura ovvero Il vecchio geloso'' * ''La santa Dimna figlia del re d'Irlanda'' (Benedetto Pamphili; Rome, 1686, only act 1; act 2

, act 3

) * ''L’innocenza vendicata overo La santa Eugenia'' (Giulio Bussi; Viterbo, 1686) Oratorios * ''La destruttione di Jerico'' (Rome, 1675) * ''La morte di Oloferne'' (libretto Bartolomeo Nencini; Rome, 1675) * ''Il giudizio di Salomone'' (Ferrara, 1676) * ''Il sacrificio d’Abel'' (Benedetto Pamphili; Rome, 1678) * ''Santa Francesca Romana'' (libretto Giulio Bussi; Rome, 1679) * ''Santa Rosa'' (libretto Giulio Bussi (?); Viterbo, 1686) * ''Lo scisma del sacerdozio'' (libretto Giovan Battista Giardini; Modena, 1691)

Sources

* Robert Lamar Weaver, "Alessandro Melani", ''

The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' is an encyclopedic dictionary of music and musicians. Along with the German-language '' Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart'', it is one of the largest reference works on the history and t ...

'', 2001.
Arnaldo Morelli, "Melani, Alessandro", in Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani, vol. 58 (Rome, 2009)

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Melani, Alessandro 1639 births 1703 deaths Italian Baroque composers Italian opera composers Italian male opera composers People from Pistoia 17th-century Italian male musicians