Rivista Italiana di Musicologia

Editoriale

Marco Mangani — 2024-10-01

Tra otto e dodici modi: il sistema non esplicito a dieci modi

Grégoire Bauguil — 2024-10-01

In the 16th century, modal theory took the form of a number of systems that varied in order and number. The traditional system inherited from the Middle Ages consisted of 8 modes beginning on D, but under the influence of Glarean (1547) and above all Zarlino (1558 and 1571), the number of modes was increased to 12 in two possible orders on C or on D. However, study of the repertoire reveals the existence of an additional system built on a set of 10 modes, adding yet more confusion produced by the cohabitation of all these systems. This specificity of the repertoire seems to indicate that some composers are pragmatically seeking a kind of compromise between the traditional 8 modes system, which has become too narrow, and the 12 modes system, which is impracticable in its entirety. So far, six works printed between 1582 and 1650 by five Franco-Italian composers based on this system have been identified; but this is not a univocal system: most of these authors propose an original and personal reading of this set, raising numerous questions of interpretation. The aim of this article is to present the different versions of these 10 modes, in order to understand how the authors understood another form of the completeness of the modal system.

La fortuna austro-tedesca di Dario Castello. L’arte della sonata in trasformazione

Massimo Di Sandro — 2024-10-01

The innovative power of Dario Castello’s sonatas (1621 and 1629) is usually confined into the limits of an extravagant and irregular stylus phantasticus. In stark contrast to this interpretation stands the rigorous creative method of this Venetian composer and instrumentalist. Castello in both his publications systematically adopted a relatively simple formal scheme consisting of three parts perfectly balanced. The beginning is formed by a fugue and an imitative stretta interspersed with a short pause in slow tempo. The middle part, consisting in two or three soloistic sections, is wandering and unpredictable like a fluctuatio animi and for this reason it performs an effective function of contrast and formal imbalance. The ending, which instead has a resolutive function, takes up the features of the stretta that close the first part although in some compositions it is constituted by the recapitulation of the initial fugue. The correct identification of the formal and narrative organization of Castello’s sonatas allows us to accurately measure their fortune, which was not only Italian. Thanks to his clarity and constructive effectiveness Castello established himself as a model in German-speaking countries, so much so that the formal scheme he conceived is found in a significant number of sonatas (about thirty) by Bertali, Schmelzer, Becker, Förster, Buxtheude, and others. The present article reconstructs for the first time this particular tradition and contextually highlights the profound stylistic change that affected it. In fact, the original dramatic coherence of the Castello sonatas, grounded on a purely musical syntax, gradually was broken by mimic suggestions favoured by new aesthetic instances close to opera, cantata and dance.

The Queen of Etruria as Symphonist: Between Patriotism and Imitation

Ana Lombardía — 2024-10-01

Among recently rediscovered female composers, the case of Maria Luisa of Bourbon (1782-1824), Infanta of Spain, Queen of Etruria, and Duch- ess of Lucca, is exceptional, both for her noble birth and for the political aspects of her life. Widowed at an early age, she governed Tuscany as regent, but was deprived of her kingdom and imprisoned, as described bitterly in her memoirs, published in four languages just before the Congress of Vienna. Recent studies have shown that she cultivated a true passion for music as a patroness, collector, and amateur performer. Her music library, containing over 2000 volumes with a very modern and varied international repertoire, and bearing signs of use, is particularly outstanding. Moreover, she is the earliest known female Spanish composer of orchestral music, and one of the earliest in Italy, something that has been overlooked so far. This essay focuses on her four 'sinfonias', which date from c.1810-24, considering their compositional and performance contexts, sty- listic traits, and probable models. Notably, they are among the earliest works by Spanish composers to adopt the structure of Rossini's overtures. The Infanta innovatively combines this model with musical topoi, both international, such as the march, and typically associated with the Spanish cultural identity, such as the fandango. Overall, her sinfonias constitute unique works that shed new light on hitherto ignored aspects of Rossini's reception, early-nineteenth century female composition, and the shared musical history of Spain and Italy.

Potere e dignità. Il ‘caso George Enescu’

Michele Russo — 2024-10-01

Throughout his musical career, George Enescu (1881-1955) has always maintained relations with those in power, sometimes raising doubts about his political disengagement – the fraternal friendship with the royal family follows the dark affair of voluntary exile in 1946. The way in which power influenced Enescu's artistic personality will be explored, highlighting his essential line: through music, Enescu defended freedom and human dignity against any form of political blackmail. The patronage of Elena Bibescu and Queen Elizabeth of Romania enriched Enescu's relationship with the Romanian institutions since his formation (1881-1914). Subsequently, the musical dream was put at the service of the last, the feverish concert activity consoling the wounded of the First World War (1915-1943). The spirit of solidarity developed at the head of the Iaşi Symphony Orchestra evolves into Œdipe, op. 23, tragédie lyrique, whose admonition «Man is stronger than fate» chillingly anticipates the uncompromising conduct of exile (1944-1955). A new school of thought believes that Enescu was accustomed to submitting to power in order to gain economic advantages linked to his growing popularity. However, the sources reveal his interest in a musical maturation detached from personal advantage, as well as the development of an unusual humanity for the prototype of the eighteenth-century virtuoso. The architects of the politicisation of culture used Enescu's image in propaganda for the rise of totalitarianism, but he immediately rejected any political involvement. In this complex historical interweaving, Enescu grasps the ethical aspect of the relationship with power and spreads his own propaganda message, in which music is the language and human dignity is the object.

Alleati in concerto: Cage, Berio, Metzger e lo United States Information Service

Manuel Farolfi — 2024-10-01

John Cage’s 1958–59 European tour, which spanned multiple countries and featured his first appearance at the Darmstadt Summer Courses, concluded with a series of five unplanned concerts in Italy. These performances, where Cage collaborated with Luciano Berio and Sylvano Bussotti, were not without controversy. They were pivotal in shaping the composer’s reception in the country, providing many local audiences and critics with their first opportunity to experience his works. As in Germany, Cage’s music faced harsh criticism, but the local political climate added some distinct traits to its reception. In Italy, Cage benefitted from trans-Atlantic politics and diplomacy. The United States Information Service, a key agency in promoting American culture overseas with political aims, played a significant role in supporting his two major concerts in Milan and Rome. This endorsement did not go unnoticed in a country where a strong Communist Party was widening polarisation during the Cold War. Critic Luigi Pestalozza, a Marxist, included anti-American claims in his attacks on Cage’s music. Fedele D’Amico dismissed the concert in Rome as a product of capitalist society. By contrast, Heinz-Klaus Metzger, who had come from Germany to support Cage, modelled the composer as a fighter for freedom in a leftist European sense. This article examines how musicians, institutions, critics, and the audience engaged with Cage during this series of concerts, also shedding light on the political dimensions that informed his arrival in Italy. The aim is to expand the perspective on the 1958–59 European reception of Cage beyond Germany. This is accomplished by broadening the geographical and chronological scope of existing studies and discussing the impact of the local political context.

Philippa Ovenden, Elia Pivetta, Angela Romagnoli, Daniele Cannavò, Marina Vaccarini, Claudio Toscani, Bianca Maria Antolini, Emanuele Franceschetti

Philippa Ovenden — 2024-10-01

Antolini, Bauguil, Cannavò, Di Sandro, Farolfi, Franceschetti, Lombardía, Ovenden, Piras, Pivetta, Romagnoli, Russo, Toffetti, Toscani, Vaccarini

SIdM's Administrator — 2024-10-01

Libri ricevuti

SIdM's Administrator — 2024-10-01

Che cosa ci insegna la musica incompleta? Le responsabilità del musicologo nei confronti di una porzione significativa del patrimonio musicale

Marina Toffetti — 2024-10-02

Perché non possiamo non conoscere il jazz

Marcello Piras — 2024-10-02