Ariosti
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Attilio Malachia Ariosti (or Frate Ottavio) (5 November 1666 – 1729) was a
Servite The Servite Order, officially known as the Order of Servants of Mary (; abbreviation: OSM), is one of the five original mendicant orders in the Roman Catholic Church. It includes several branches of friars (priests and brothers), contemplative nun ...
Friar A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders in the Catholic Church. There are also friars outside of the Catholic Church, such as within the Anglican Communion. The term, first used in the 12th or 13th century, distinguishes the mendi ...
and 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 ...
in the
Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
style. He produced more than 30
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 ...
s and
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, numerous cantatas and instrumental works.


Life

Ariosti was born in
Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...
into a middle class family. He became a monk in 1688 at age 22, but he soon obtained permission to leave the order and become a composer in the court of the Duke of Mantua and Monferrato. He became a
deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian denominations, such as the Cathol ...
in 1692, the same year he achieved the post of organist at
Santa Maria dei Servi Santa Maria dei Servi may refer to the following churches in Italy: * Santa Maria dei Servi, Bologna Santa Maria dei Servi is a Roman Catholic basilica in Bologna, Italy. It was founded in 1346, as the church of the Servites, Servite Community o ...
in Bologna. In 1697, he went to Berlin at the request of
Sophia Charlotte of Hanover Sophia Charlotte of Hanover (30 October 1668 – 1 February 1705) was the first Queen consort in Prussia as the wife of King Frederick I. She was the only daughter of Elector Ernest Augustus of Hanover and Sophia of the Palatinate. Her eldes ...
, Queen of
Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...
, a great-granddaughter of
James I of England James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 unti ...
and daughter of the Electress
Sophia of Hanover Sophia (born Princess Sophia of the Palatinate; – ) was Electress of Hanover from 19 December 1692 until 23 January 1698 as the consort of Prince-Elector Ernest Augustus. She was later the heiress presumptive to the thrones of England and ...
, an enlightened patroness of the arts with a keen interest in music. After enjoying the favor of the Queen, Ariosti wrote and collaborated in the writing of a number of stage works performed for the court in Berlin. He resided in Berlin as the court composer until 1703. A portrait painting of Ariosti, by Anthoni Schoonjans (1655-1726), is still present in Charlottenburg Palace. His first opera was performed in
Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...
in 1697. From 1703 to 1709 he was the General Austrian Agent for Italy, during the reign of
Joseph I Joseph I or Josef I may refer to: *Joseph I of Constantinople, Ecumenical Patriarch in 1266–1275 and 1282–1283 *Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor (1678–1711) * Joseph I (Chaldean Patriarch) (reigned 1681–1696) *Joseph I of Portugal (1750–1777) ...
. After 1716 he achieved enormous success in Paris and London. In London, he shared with
Georg Frideric Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel ( ; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well-known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concerti. Born in Halle, Germany, Han ...
and
Giovanni Bononcini Giovanni Bononcini (or Buononcini) (18 July 1670 – 9 July 1747) (sometimes cited also as Giovanni Battista Bononcini) was an Italian Baroque composer, cellist, singer and teacher, one of a family of string players and composers. He was a rival ...
the directorship of the Royal Academy of Music, and he played the viola d’amore in an entr’acte in Handel’s ''
Amadigi di Gaula ''Amadigi di Gaula'' ( HWV 11) is a "magic" opera in three acts, with music by George Frideric Handel. It was the fifth Italian opera that Handel wrote for an English theatre and the second he wrote for Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington in ...
.'' In 1724 he published a ''Collection of Cantatas, and Lessons for the Viola d'Amour,'' which he sold by subscription. This publication may have been the most successful sale of music by subscription in the 18th century. Although he could sing, write drama, play the violoncello and harpsichord; his favorite instrument was the
viola d'amore The viola d'amore (; ) is a 7- or 6- stringed musical instrument with additional sympathetic strings used chiefly in the baroque period. It is played under the chin in the same manner as the violin. Structure and sound The viola d'amore shar ...
, for which he wrote 21 solo sonatas. These are usually called the ''Stockholm Sonatas,'' as the sole surviving source for most of them is in the Statens Musikbibliotek in Stockholm, Sweden. The ''Stockholm Sonatas'' display Ariosti's liking for surprising harmonies, his inventive use of silence, and his wit.


Works


Instrumental music

* Concerts (lost) * Six published sonatas (or Lessons) and a large collection of pieces in manuscript (commonly grouped to form 15 sonatas) for viola d'amore and basso continuo.


Oratorios

The best known is "''La Passione di Cristo''" (Vienna, 1709)


Operas

Altogether 23 operas, among them: * "''La festa di Imeneo''" - (Berlin) balletto. * "''Atys''" - (Berlin). * "''La fede nei tradimenti''" - (Berlin, 1701). * "''Marte e Irene''" - (Berlin, 1703). * "''I gloriosi presagi del Scipione Africano''" - (Vienna, 1704). * "''La profezia d'Eliseo nell'assedio di Samaria''" - (Vienna, 1705). * "''Marte placato''" - (Vienna, 1707). * "''La gara delle antiche eroine ne' campi elisi''" - (Vienna, 1707). * "''Amor tra nemici''" - (Vienna, 1708). * "''La Placidia''" - (Vienna, 1709). * "''Coriolano''" - (London, 1723). * "''Lucio Vero''" - (London, 1726). * "''Vespasiano e Artaserse''" - (London, 1724). * "''Dario''" - (London, 1725).


Librettos

* "''Gli amori di Polifemo''", music by
Giovanni Bononcini Giovanni Bononcini (or Buononcini) (18 July 1670 – 9 July 1747) (sometimes cited also as Giovanni Battista Bononcini) was an Italian Baroque composer, cellist, singer and teacher, one of a family of string players and composers. He was a rival ...
.


References

* *


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ariosti, Attilio 1666 births 1729 deaths Italian Baroque composers Italian male classical composers Italian classical viola d'amore players Composers from Bologna 18th-century Italian composers 18th-century Italian male musicians 17th-century Italian composers 17th-century Italian male musicians