Salamone Rossi or Salomone Rossi () (Salamon, Schlomo; de' Rossi) (ca. 1570 – 1630) was an Italian Jewish

violin The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...

ist and composer. He was a transitional figure between the late Italian

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

period and early

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 ...

Life

As a young man, Rossi acquired a reputation as a talented violinist. He was then hired (in 1587) as a court musician in

Mantua Mantua ( ; ; Lombard language, Lombard and ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Italian region of Lombardy, and capital of the Province of Mantua, eponymous province. In 2016, Mantua was designated as the "Italian Capital of Culture". In 2 ...

, where records of his activities as a violinist survive. Rossi served at the court of Mantua from 1587 to 1628 as concertmaster where he entertained the ducal family and their highly esteemed guests. The composers Rossi,

Monteverdi Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi (baptized 15 May 1567 – 29 November 1643) was an Italian composer, choirmaster and string player. A composer of both secular and sacred music, and a pioneer in the development of opera, he is considere ...

, Gastoldi,

Wert WERT (1220 AM broadcasting, AM) is a radio station broadcasting adult standards featuring soft oldies from the 1940s through today. Licensed to Van Wert, Ohio, United States, the station serves Van Wert primarily but is considered part of the Lim ...

and Viadana provided fashionable music for banquets, wedding feasts, theatre productions and chapel services amongst others. Rossi was so well-thought of at this court that he was excused from wearing the

yellow badge The yellow badge, also known as the yellow patch, the Jewish badge, or the yellow star (, ), was an accessory that Jews were required to wear in certain non-Jewish societies throughout history. A Jew's ethno-religious identity, which would be d ...

that was required of other Jews in Mantua. Rossi died during the

War of the Mantuan Succession The War of the Mantuan Succession, from 1628 to 1631, was caused by the death in December 1627 of Vincenzo II, last male heir from the House of Gonzaga, long-time rulers of Mantua and Montferrat. Their strategic importance led to a proxy war b ...

, probably either in the invasion of

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

n troops, who defeated the Gonzagas and destroyed the Jewish ghetto in Mantua, or in the subsequent episode of plague which ravaged the area. Rossi's sister,

Madama Europa Madama Europa was the nickname of Europa Rossi (fl. 1600), a soprano opera singer, the first Jewish opera singer to achieve widespread fame outside of the Jewish community. She was the sister of the Jewish violinist and composer Salamone Rossi ...

, was an opera singer, and possibly the first Jewish woman to be professionally engaged in that area. Like her brother, she was employed at the court in Mantua; she is thought to have performed in the ''

intermedio The intermedio (also intromessa, introdutto, tramessa, tramezzo, intermezzo, intermedii), in the Italian Renaissance, was a theatrical performance or spectacle with music and often dance, which was performed between the acts of a play to celeb ...

'' ''Il Ratto di Europa,'' by

Gabriello Chiabrera Gabriello Chiabrera (; 18 June 155214 October 1638) was an Italian poet, sometimes called the Italian Pindar. Endnote: The best editions of Chiabrera are those of Rome (1718, 3 vols. 8vo); of Venice (1731, 4 vols. 8vo); of Leghorn (1781, 5 vols., ...

and Gastoldi, during the wedding festivities for Francesco Gonzaga in 1608. She also disappeared after the end of the Gonzaga court and subsequent sack of the ghetto.

Works

Italian

His first published work (released in 1589) was a collection of 19

canzonette In music, a canzonetta (; pl. canzonette, canzonetti or canzonettas) is a popular Italian secular vocal composition that originated around 1560. Earlier versions were somewhat like a madrigal but lighter in style—but by the 18th century, especia ...

s, short, dance-like compositions for a trio of voices with lighthearted, amorous lyrics. Rossi also flourished in his composition of more serious

madrigal A madrigal is a form of secular vocal music most typical of the Renaissance (15th–16th centuries) and early Baroque (1580–1650) periods, although revisited by some later European composers. The polyphonic madrigal is unaccompanied, and the ...

s, combining the poetry of the greatest poets of the day (e.g. Guarini, Marino, Rinaldi, and Celiano) with his melodies. In 1600, in the first two of his five

books, Rossi published the earliest continuo madrigals, an innovation which partially defined the beginning of the Baroque era in music; these particular compositions included

tablature Tablature (or tab for short) is a form of musical notation indicating instrument fingering or the location of the played notes rather than musical pitches. Tablature is common for fretted stringed instruments such as the guitar, lute or vihuel ...

for

chitarrone The theorbo is a plucked string instrument of the lute family, with an extended neck that houses the second pegbox. Like a lute, a theorbo has a curved-back sound box with a flat top, typically with one or three sound holes decorated with ro ...

. Rossi published 150 secular works in Italian, including: Canzonette a 3, Libro primo * I bei ligustri, for 3 voices * Correte amanti, for 3 voices * S'el Leoncorno, for 3 voices Madrigali a 5, Libro primo * Cor Mio, madrigal for 5 voices * Dir mi che piu non ardo, madrigal for 5 voices

Instrumental

In the field of instrumental music Rossi was a bold innovator. He was one of the first composers to apply to instrumental music the principles of monodic song, in which one melody dominates over secondary accompanying parts. His

trio sonata The trio sonata is a genre, typically consisting of several movements, with two melody instruments and basso continuo. It originated in the early 17th century and was a favorite chamber ensemble combination in the Baroque era. Basic structure T ...

s, among the first in the literature, provided for the development of an idiomatic and virtuoso

technique. They stand midway between the homogeneous textures of the instrumental

canzona The canzona, also known as the canzon or canzone, is an Italian musical form derived from the Franco-Flemish and Parisian '' chansons''. Background The canzona is an instrumental musical form that differs from the similar forms of ricercare ...

of the late Renaissance and the trio sonata of the mature Baroque. Works published, and preserved today include: * Il primo libro delle sinfonie e gagliarde a 3–5 voci (1607) * Il secondo libro delle sinfonie e gagliarde a 3–5 voci (1608) * Il terzo libro de varie sonate, sinfonie (1613) * Il quarto libro de varie sonate, sinfonie (1622)

Hebrew

Rossi also published a collection of Jewish liturgical music, השירים אשר לשלמה ''(Ha-shirim asher li-Shlomo, The Songs of Solomon)'' in 1623. This was written in the Baroque tradition and (almost) entirely unconnected to traditional Jewish cantorial music. This was an unprecedented development in synagogal music. The biblical ''

Song of Solomon The Song of Songs (), also called the Canticle of Canticles or the Song of Solomon, is a biblical poem, one of the five ("scrolls") in the ('writings'), the last section of the Tanakh. Unlike other books in the Hebrew Bible, it is erotic poe ...

'' does not appear within ''The Songs of Solomon'', hence the name is probably a pun on Rossi's first name (Rikko 1969). It is the earliest known published collection of liturgical music in Hebrew; there would not be another for two hundred years. The publication begins with an introductory essay by the rabbi and scholar

Leon of Modena Leon of Modena (, 1571–1648) was a Jewish scholar born in Venice to a family whose ancestors migrated to Italy after an expulsion of Jews from France. Life He was an intelligent child and a respected rabbi in Venice. However, his reputation wi ...

. It praises Rossi's works and makes a case for the

halachic ''Halakha'' ( ; , ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws that are derived from the Written and Oral Torah. ''Halakha'' is based on biblical commandments ('' mitz ...

suitability of composed music in Jewish liturgy, based on biblical precedents. Rossi set many Biblical Hebrew texts to music in their original Hebrew language, which makes him unique among Baroque composers. His vocal music resembles that of Claudio Monteverdi and Luigi Rossi, but its lyrics are in Hebrew. Milnes Vol. I **Adon 'olam (8v)

piyyut A piyyuṭ (plural piyyuṭim, ; from ) is a Jewish liturgical poem, usually designated to be sung, chanted, or recited during religious services. Most piyyuṭim are in Mishnaic Hebrew or Jewish Palestinian Aramaic, and most follow some p ...

***Recorded by Boston Camerata **Barekhu (3v) prayer ***Recorded by Profeti della Quinta (2009), Boston Camerata **Ein keloheinu (8v) piyyut **Elohim hashivenu Ps. 80:4, 8, 20 ***Recorded by Profeti della Quinta (2009) **Haleluyah. Ashrei ish yare et Adonai (8v) Ps. 112 **Haleluyah. Haleli nafshi (4v) Ps. 146 **Haleluyah. Ode Adonai (8v) Ps. 111 **Hashkivenu (5v) prayer — ***Recorded by Profeti della Quinta (2009) **Keter yitenu lakh (4v) Great

kedusha Kedusha (), meaning "holiness" or "sanctity," is a central concept in Jewish thought, representing the idea of separation, elevation, and dedication to God. Rooted in the Hebrew word ''kadosh'' (), which means "holy" or "set apart," ''Kedusha'' si ...

***Recorded by Profeti della Quinta (2009) **Lamnatseah binginot mizmor shir (3v or 4v) Ps. 67 **Mizmor le'Asaf. Elohim nitsav (3v) Ps. 82 **Mizmor leDavid. Havu l'Adonai (6v) Ps. 29 **Mizmor shir leyom hashabat (8v) Ps. 92 **Shir hama'a lot. Esa'einai (5v) Ps. 121 **Yigdal Elohim hai (8v) piyyut **Yitgadal veyitkadesh (3v and 5v) Full

kaddish The Kaddish (, 'holy' or 'sanctification'), also transliterated as Qaddish, is a hymn praising God that is recited during Jewish prayer services. The central theme of the Kaddish is the magnification and sanctification of God's name. In the lit ...

***Arranged for 5 voices and recorded by Profeti della Quinta (2009) *Milnes Vol. II **'Al naharot Bavel (4v) Ps. 137 ***Recorded by Profeti della Quinta (2009) **Barukh haba beshem Adonai (6v) Ps. 118:26–29 ***Recorded by Boston Camerata **Eftah na sefatai (7v) piyyut **Eftah shir bisfatai (8v) piyyut ***Recorded by Boston Camerata **Ele mo'adei Adonai (3v) Lev. 23:4 **Lamnatseah 'al hagitit (5v) Ps. 8 ***Recorded by Profeti della Quinta (2009) **Lamnatseah 'al hasheminit (3v) Ps.12 **Lemi ehpots (8v) Wedding ode ***Recorded by Profeti della Quinta (2009) **Mizmor letoda (5v) Ps. 100 **Odekha ki'anitani (6v) Ps. 118:21–24 **Shir hama'a lot. Ashrei kol yere Adonai (3v, 5v and 6v) Ps. 128 **Shir hama'a lot. Beshuv Adonai (5v) Ps. 126 **Shir hama'a lot leDavid. Lulei Adonai (6v) Ps. 124 **Yesusum midbar vetsiya (5v) Isaiah 35:1–2, 5–6, 10

Recordings

*Rossi, S: Il terzo libro de varie sonate, sinfonie, gagliarde, brandi e corrente, Op. 12 Il Ruggiero, Emanuela Marcante Tactus 2012 *Rossi: (1) Vocal Works, (2) Madrigals, (3) Canti di Salomone. 3 CDs licensed from Tactus Records Italy to Brilliant Classics, Netherlands. BLC 93359 :Madrigaletti op. XIII - Ensemble L'aura soave. Diego Cantalupi TC.571802 2000 :Primo libro di madrigali a 4 voci - Arie a voce sola dal I Libro dei Madrigali a 5 voci - Ut Musica Poësis Ensemble Director: Stefano Bozolo TC.571803 2001 :Canti di Salomone a 3 parti - Sonata e Salmi di Henry Purcell - Mottetto di André Campra - Ensemble Hypothesis Director: Leopoldo d'Agostino TC.571804 2003 *''The Songs of Solomon''. Corvina Consort dir. Zoltan Kalmanovits, Hungaroton 2006 *''The Songs of Solomon, Volume 1: Music for the Sabbath.'' Pro Gloria Musicae PGM 108 *''The Songs of Solomon, Volume 2: Holiday and festival music'' Jewish sacred music from 17th-century Italy by Salamone Rossi, New York Baroque, dir. Eric Milnes. Troy, NY: Dorian, 2001 *''The Song of Solomon and Instrumental Music''. Profeti della Quinta, Ensemble Muscadin. ℗2008, ©2009. Pan Classics PC 10214. Includes libretto with Hebrew texts *Rossi: Il mantovano hebreo Profeti della Quinta Vol.2 Elam Rotem Linn 2013 *''Salomone Rossi Ebreo: A Jewish Composer in 17th Century Italy'' Ensemble La Dafne, Stefano Rossi Release Date: 9th Feb 2018 GB5638 Bongiovanni *Rossi, S: ''The Two Souls of Solomon'' Ensemble Daedalus, Roberto Festa Accent *''Salamone Rossi Hebreo'' Boston Early Music. dir. Prof. Joshua R. Jacobson *''Salomone Rossi - Illumine Our Hearts'' Sursum Corda. MSR Classics. 2010-02-09 on collections *''Musique judéo-baroque''.

Boston Camerata The Boston Camerata is an early music ensemble based in Boston, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1954 by Narcissa Williamson, at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, as an adjunct to that museum's musical instrument collection. The Camerata incorpora ...

, dir. Joel Cohen. LP: ℗1979. CD: Arles: Harmonia mundi, ℗1988. Harmonia mundi France HMA 1901021 *''Jewish Baroque Music'' of Rossi, Lidarti, Caceres
Ensemble Salomone Rossi
Concerto CTO 2009 *'Salamone Rossi Hebreo Mantovano': Siena Ensemble, directed by Michelene Wandor. Vocal and instrumental music. Classical Recording Company (London) 2002. *''Sacred Bridges''.

The King's Singers The King's Singers are a British a cappella vocal ensemble founded in 1968. They are named after King's College in Cambridge, England, where the group was formed by six choral scholars. In the United Kingdom, their popularity peaked in the ...

and Sarband. Signum Classics SIGCD065 2005

References

Sources

*Birnbaum, Eduard (1978) ''Jewish musicians at the court of the Mantuan dukes, 1542–1628,'' Tel Aviv : Tel Aviv University, Faculty of Fine Arts, School of Jewish Studies, 1978, c. 1975 *James Haar, Anthony Newcomb, Glenn Watkins, Nigel Fortune, Joseph Kerman, Jerome Roche: "Madrigal", in ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'', ed. Stanley Sadie. 20 vol. London, Macmillan Publishers Ltd., 1980. * Harran, Don (2003). ''Salamone Rossi: Jewish Musician in Late Renaissance Mantua.'' Oxford University Press. 332 pages. *Nettl, Paul and Theodore Baker (1931). "Some Early Jewish Musicians" in ''The Musical Quarterly'', Vol. 17, No. 1. (Jan., 1931), pp. 40–46. ISSN 0027-4631 *Patuzzi, Stefano, ''Music from a Confined Space: Salomone Rossi's "Ha-shirim asher liShlomoh" (1622/23) and the Mantuan Ghetto'', in "Journal of Synagogue Music" (Sacred Space), ed. by Joseph A. Levine, Fall 2012, volume 37, pp. 49–69. *Patuzzi, Stefano, ''I'' Canti ''di Salomone Rossi e l'"invenzione" della musica ebraica'', in ''Lombardia Judaica'', ed. by Giulio Busi and Ermanno Finzi, Florence, Giuntina, 2017, pp. 39–48. *Rikko, Fritz (1969). "Salamon Rossi, Hashirim Asher L'shlomo (The Songs of Solomon)" in ''The Musical Quarterly'', Vol. 55, No. 2 (Apr., 1969), pp. 269–275 *Jacobson, Joshua R. (2016) "Salamone Rossi Renaissance Man of Jewish Music" Berlin: Hentrich & Hentrich, (Jüdische Miniaturen Bd. 196) * Seroussi, Edwin (2004) "On the Footsteps of the 'Great Jewish Composer'": Review-Essay of Don Harrán's ''Salamone Rossi: Jewish Musician in Late Renaissance Mantua.'' In ''Min'ad: Israel Studies in Musicology Online'' 3.

External links

* *
Zamir Chorale of Boston: main page about Salamone RossiJewish EncyclopediaSalamone Rossi on JewishChoralMusic.com
*Audio:
Al Naharot Bavel
' (''By the Rivers of Babylon''), Psalm 137, from ''The Songs of Solomon''.
Salomone Rossi and his innovations
An Early Music Sources educational video describing Rossi's influence on music of his time, including audio examples {{DEFAULTSORT:Rossi, Salamone Italian Renaissance composers Italian Baroque composers Composers of Jewish music Italian male classical composers Italian male classical violinists Italian classical violinists Jewish classical composers Jewish classical violinists 17th-century Italian composers 17th-century Italian male musicians 16th-century Italian Jews 17th-century Italian Jews 1570s births 1630 deaths