Giovanni Felice Sances (also Sancies, Sanci, Sanes, Sanchez, 24 November 1679) was an Italian singer and a

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 ...

composer. He was renowned in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

during his time. Sances studied at the Collegio Germanico 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, ...

from 1609 to 1614. He appeared in the opera ''Amor pudico'' in Rome in 1614. His career then took him to

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 ...

and

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 ...

. His first opera ''Ermiona'' was staged in

Padua Padua ( ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Veneto, northern Italy, and the capital of the province of Padua. The city lies on the banks of the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice and southeast of Vicenza, and has a population of 20 ...

in 1636, in which he also sang. In 1636 he moved to

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

, where he was initially employed at the imperial court chapel as a tenor. In 1649, during the reign of Ferdinand III he was appointed vice-''Kapellmeister'' under

Antonio Bertali Antonio Bertali (March 1605–17 April 1669) was an Italian composer and violinist of the Baroque era. He was born in Verona and received early music education there from Stefano Bernardi. Probably from 1624, he was employed as court music ...

. He collaborated with Bertali to stage regular performances of Italian opera. He also composed ''sepolcri'', sacred works and chamber music. In 1669 he succeeded to the post of Imperial ''

Kapellmeister ( , , ), 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 ...

'' upon Bertali's death. From 1673, due to poor health, many of his duties were undertaken by his deputy

Johann Heinrich Schmelzer Johann Heinrich Schmelzer (c. 1620–1623between 29 February and 20 March 1680) was an Austrian composer and violinist of the middle Baroque era. Almost nothing is known about his early years, but he seems to have arrived in Vienna during the 163 ...

. He died in Vienna in 1679.

Works

Sacred works

Published motet collections

*Motetti a una, due, tre, e quattro voci (1638) *Motetti a 2, 3, 4, a cinque voci con Litania della BVM (1642) dedicated to Guglielmo Slavata chancellor *Salmi a 8 voci (1643) dedicated to Archduke Leopold Wilhelm *Salmi brevi a 4 v. concertate (1647, Cardano) dedicated to Ferdinand IV, King of the Romans *Antiphonae sacrae una voce decantandae (1648, Cardano) dedicated to Antonio Spindler abbot of the Schottenkirche * Motetti a quattro voci ; Venice, 1658

Various works

*60 Mass settings including ** ''Missa Sanctae Maria Magdalenae'' (for 6 wind instruments, 6 string instruments, 7 voices, and organ) **''Missa Solicita'' * ''Stabat Mater'' or ''Il pianto della Madonna'' (1638) * ''O Domine Jesu'' * ''O Deus Meus'' * ''O Maria Dei genitrix'' * ''Caro Mea'' * ''Improperium expectavit cor meum'' * ''Vulnerasti cor meum'' * ''Domine quid multiplicati sunt'' * ''Plagae tuae Domine'' * ''Iste confessor''

Secular works

Six operas, of which three lost * Opera: ''L’Ermiona'' (1636) - lost - libretto by Pio Enea degli Obizzi (1592–1674) on the story of Cadmus and Hermione, performed as an introduction to a tournament. * Oratorios: ''Lachrime di San Pietro'' (1666) La morte de bellata (1669), Sette consolazioni a Maria Vergine per la morte di Cristo (1670), Il trionfo della Croce (1671), Il Paradiso aperto per la morte di Cristo (1672), L' ingiustitia della sentenza di Pilato (1676)

Published secular music

*Cantatas book I - lost (date unknown) *Cantatas for one voice (Venice 1633) *Cantatas for two voices (Venice 1633) *Il Quarto Libro, cantatas for one voice, with two duets and one for three voices. (Venice 1636) *Capricci Poetici, 23 works (Venice 1649) *Trattenimenti musicali per camera, (Venice, 1657), 16 worksThe Italian Cantata in Vienna: Entertainment in the Age of Absolutism 0253010349 Lawrence Bennett - 2013 "The two cantata volumes from this time are the Capricci poetici (Venice, 1649), which includes twenty-three pieces, and the Trattenimenti musicali per camera (Venice, 1657), with sixteen compositions.

Various

* ''Mi fai peccato'' (for 2 voices & basso continuo) * ''Si fera s'uccida'', (for 2 voices, strings & basso continuo) * ''Misera, hor si ch'il pianto'' * ''Chi sa amare e tracer mercede aspetti'' (''canzonetta'' for 2 voices) * ''Presso l'onde tranquille'' (for voice & basso continuo) * ''Traditorella che credi'' (for voice & basso continuo) * ''Perché Vechia gli dissi'' (for voice & basso continuo) * ''Che sperasti ò mio cor'' (for voice & basso continuo) * Cantata: ''Lagrimosa beltà (ciaccona)'' (for 2 voices) * Cantata: ''Non sia chi mi riprende'' (1636) *''Dialogo a due. Pastor e Ninfa'' (1649) * Pianto della Madonna cantata per alto e organo

References

* ''Il quarto libro delle cantate et arie a voce sola'', Venetia, Vincetini, 1636 * ''Capricci poetici di Gioan Felice Sances'', Venetia, Gardano, 1649 * Carter, Stewart, "Trombone Obbligatos in Viennese Oratorios of the Baroque", Historic Brass Society Journal, p55, July 1, 1990. * Sadie, Julie Anne, ed., "Companion to Baroque Music", University of California Press, 1998. . Pages 257–8 * Weaver, Andrew H., "Music in the Service of Counter-Reformation Politics: The Immaculate Conception at the Habsburg Court of Ferdinand III (1637–1657)", Oxford University Press, 2006. * Rosand, Ellen, "The

Descending Tetrachord In music theory, the descending tetrachord is a series of four notes from a scale (music), scale, or tetrachord, arranged in order from highest to lowest, or descending order. For example, --- , as created by the Andalusian cadence. The descendi ...

: An Emblem of

Lament A lament or lamentation is a passionate expression of grief, often in music, poetry, or song form. The grief is most often born of regret, or mourning. Laments can also be expressed in a verbal manner in which participants lament about something ...

", The Musical Quarterly, 1979 LXV(3):346–359; , Oxford University Press, 1979 ;Specific

Recordings

* ''Tirsi Morir Volea,'' Sacro & Profano, Marco Mencobon
E lucevan le stelle records
*''Dulcis amor Iesu.'' Scherzi Musicali with Nicolas Achten, conductor. 2010, Ricercar RIC 292 *''Stabat Mater & Motets to the virgin Mary'' - Philippe Jaroussky - Warner Classics - Aout 2009

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sances, Giovanni Felice 1600s births 1679 deaths Year of birth uncertain Italian Baroque composers Italian opera composers Italian male opera composers 17th-century Italian composers 17th-century Italian male musicians