Giovanni Priuli
Encyclopedia
Giovanni Priuli was an Italian composer and organist of the late Renaissance
and early Baroque
periods. A late member of the Venetian School, and a contemporary of Claudio Monteverdi
, he was a prominent musician in Venice in the first decade of the 17th century, departing after the death of his associate Giovanni Gabrieli
and ending his career at the Habsburg
court in Austria. His music straddled the dividing-line between Renaissance and Baroque idioms.
In addition to his duties at St. Mark's, the most prestigious musical establishment in Venice, he worked as an organist at the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, a confraternity whose musical opulence was second only to that of St. Mark's. Dates for his employment at San Rocco commence in 1609, and while it is not known if his employment was continuous for the next several years, he oversaw the musical events surrounding the feast of Saint Roch, the patron saint of the confraternity, which took place on August 16, 1612, only four days after the death of Gabrieli.
Sometime around 1614 or 1615 he left Venice to pursue a career in at the Habsburg court in Austria. He became Hofkapellmeister to Archduke Ferdinand
(1619); on Ferdinand's accession to the imperial throne he went with him to Vienna to serve as Hofkapellmeister there. He died in Neunkirchen
in Lower Austria.
; he was one of the composers who imported it to German-speaking lands. His music includes a cappella vocal music, vocal with instruments, and some purely instrumental music. From the publication dates of his collections, he seems to have composed most of his sacred music and instrumental music in the service of the Habsburgs, and likely wrote much of his secular music – particularly the Italian madrigals, as might be expected – while he was in Venice.
His madrigals, which include probably the earliest part of his output, are significant in that they show the change from the Renaissance prima prattica style of balanced a cappella vocal polyphony in the first two books to the Baroque concertato
and monodic
style in the third. In this third book, he includes music that can be performed either by voices only, or voices and instruments; and he also includes a basso continuo, which evolves from a mere duplication of the bass line in some of the pieces, to an independent part over which solos, duets and other ensembles perform, often in an antiphonal style.
Priuli's sacred music includes masses
, motets, and sacred monodies. His masses include examples in the already archaic stile antico of the 16th century, akin to the music of Palestrina
, as well as others in the developing concertato style which helped define the beginning of the Baroque era. His motets and monodies are in general more progressive, having features in common with other early Baroque composers influenced by the Venetians.
Priuli's instrumental music, such as the pieces in the two collections entitled Sacrorum concentuum, 1618 and 1619, is akin to the music of Gabrieli. The number of parts ranges from five to twelve; some of the pieces use echo effects reminiscent of the repertory of the composers working in St. Mark's, where that style first developed. All of these works were intended for use in church.
Renaissance music
Renaissance music is European music written during the Renaissance. Defining the beginning of the musical era is difficult, given that its defining characteristics were adopted only gradually; musicologists have placed its beginnings from as early as 1300 to as late as the 1470s.Literally meaning...
and early Baroque
Baroque music
Baroque music describes a style of Western Classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1760. This era follows the Renaissance and was followed in turn by the Classical era...
periods. A late member of the Venetian School, and a contemporary of Claudio Monteverdi
Claudio Monteverdi
Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi – 29 November 1643) was an Italian composer, gambist, and singer.Monteverdi's work, often regarded as revolutionary, marked the transition from the Renaissance style of music to that of the Baroque period. He developed two individual styles of composition – the...
, he was a prominent musician in Venice in the first decade of the 17th century, departing after the death of his associate Giovanni Gabrieli
Giovanni Gabrieli
Giovanni Gabrieli was an Italian composer and organist. He was one of the most influential musicians of his time, and represents the culmination of the style of the Venetian School, at the time of the shift from Renaissance to Baroque idioms.-Biography:Gabrieli was born in Venice...
and ending his career at the Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
court in Austria. His music straddled the dividing-line between Renaissance and Baroque idioms.
Life
Little is known of Priuli's early life except that he was born in Venice around 1575. The first twenty-five years of his life are a blank in the record. Beginning in 1600, he was a close associate of Giovanni Gabrieli, and it is presumed he may have been his student; the two were associated for the duration of Priuli's Venetian career. When Priuli is first mentioned in the records of St. Mark's, he was already an experienced musician, being hired as assistant organist to Gabrieli on several occasions between 1600 and 1605. In May 1607 he received a more permanent position as deputy organist; prior to that, the payment records indicated that his hires were for single engagements. Since St. Mark's had two regular organists, the deputy filled in for special occasions, and also when one of the two principal organists was either traveling or ill. The first organist through most of the period was Paolo Giusto, while Giovanni Gabrieli was second organist.In addition to his duties at St. Mark's, the most prestigious musical establishment in Venice, he worked as an organist at the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, a confraternity whose musical opulence was second only to that of St. Mark's. Dates for his employment at San Rocco commence in 1609, and while it is not known if his employment was continuous for the next several years, he oversaw the musical events surrounding the feast of Saint Roch, the patron saint of the confraternity, which took place on August 16, 1612, only four days after the death of Gabrieli.
Sometime around 1614 or 1615 he left Venice to pursue a career in at the Habsburg court in Austria. He became Hofkapellmeister to Archduke Ferdinand
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II , a member of the House of Habsburg, was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Bohemia , and King of Hungary . His rule coincided with the Thirty Years' War.- Life :...
(1619); on Ferdinand's accession to the imperial throne he went with him to Vienna to serve as Hofkapellmeister there. He died in Neunkirchen
Neunkirchen (Austrian district)
Bezirk Neunkirchen is a district of the state of Lower Austria in Austria. It is located at the south-east of the state.-Municipalities:*Altendorf*Aspang-Markt*Aspangberg-Sankt Peter*Breitenau*Breitenstein*Buchbach*Bürg-Vöstenhof*Edlitz...
in Lower Austria.
Music
Priuli wrote both sacred and secular music, in both conservative and progressive styles, including the Venetian polychoral styleVenetian polychoral style
The Venetian polychoral style was a type of music of the late Renaissance and early Baroque eras which involved spatially separate choirs singing in alternation...
; he was one of the composers who imported it to German-speaking lands. His music includes a cappella vocal music, vocal with instruments, and some purely instrumental music. From the publication dates of his collections, he seems to have composed most of his sacred music and instrumental music in the service of the Habsburgs, and likely wrote much of his secular music – particularly the Italian madrigals, as might be expected – while he was in Venice.
His madrigals, which include probably the earliest part of his output, are significant in that they show the change from the Renaissance prima prattica style of balanced a cappella vocal polyphony in the first two books to the Baroque concertato
Concertato
Concertato is a term in early Baroque music referring to either a genre or a style of music in which groups of instruments or voices share a melody, usually in alternation, and almost always over a basso continuo...
and monodic
Monody
In poetry, the term monody has become specialized to refer to a poem in which one person laments another's death....
style in the third. In this third book, he includes music that can be performed either by voices only, or voices and instruments; and he also includes a basso continuo, which evolves from a mere duplication of the bass line in some of the pieces, to an independent part over which solos, duets and other ensembles perform, often in an antiphonal style.
Priuli's sacred music includes masses
Mass (music)
The Mass, a form of sacred musical composition, is a choral composition that sets the invariable portions of the Eucharistic liturgy to music...
, motets, and sacred monodies. His masses include examples in the already archaic stile antico of the 16th century, akin to the music of Palestrina
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina was an Italian Renaissance composer of sacred music and the best-known 16th-century representative of the Roman School of musical composition...
, as well as others in the developing concertato style which helped define the beginning of the Baroque era. His motets and monodies are in general more progressive, having features in common with other early Baroque composers influenced by the Venetians.
Priuli's instrumental music, such as the pieces in the two collections entitled Sacrorum concentuum, 1618 and 1619, is akin to the music of Gabrieli. The number of parts ranges from five to twelve; some of the pieces use echo effects reminiscent of the repertory of the composers working in St. Mark's, where that style first developed. All of these works were intended for use in church.