Giovanni Legrenzi e il concorso per il posto di maestro di cappella del Duomo di Milano (1669)

Abstract

In this study Luigi Collarile analyses the historical documentation that concerns the competition for the appointment of Kapellmeister of theDuomo in Milan after Michel'Angelo Grancini's death (1669), in connection especially with the participation of Giovanni Legrenzi. After a first examination of six candidates in June 1669 (Francesco Bagatti, Giovanni Antonio Grossi, Carlo Cesare Cabiati Gioseffo Antonio Celidone, Andrea Pizzala and Pier Simone Agostini), the Capitolo del Duomo decided in August to proceed to a new selection. Francesco Carderelli and Giovanni Legrenzi also participate in the final round (28 November 1669), which shows the affirmation of Giovanni Antonio Grossi. 

Giovanni Legrenzi took part in the competition in Milan during a very hard period of his life/biography In 1665, confident that he would obtain a position at the imperial court of Leopold I, he left the direction of the chapel of the Accademia dello Spirito Santo in Ferrara. He had however not yet received the appointment in Vienna. Without having a secure position, he moved to Venice. During 1668 he was offered a position at the court of Louis XIV. But he had to renounce to go to Paris because of a very serious illness. He was still convalescing when he answered the invitation to the competition in Milan. 

A philological investigation of the preserved musical scores of the competition in Milan has permitted to recognize the autographical sources of Grossi, Celidone, Cabiati and Pizzala. No elements however allow one of the six preserved compositions to be attributed to Giovanni Legrenzi. Most likely, they are the six candidates' experiments for the first examination. Four appendices with a complete presentation of the precious archival documentation that concerns the competition complete the study.