The convito musicale of Orazio Vecchi

The Convito Musicale, perhaps more than any other of Orazio Vecchi's works, expresses the fullness of his many-sided musical personality. In historical perspective, it is a summation of cinquecento polyphonic vocal secular forms, and an example of music for entertainment at its best. Until recently, Vecchi's importance in the history of music has depended almost entirely upon his one work available in transcription from the original part-books, the brilliant madrigal-comedy, L'Amfiparnaso. The transcription and detailed analysis of the Convito which comprise this thesis should serve to fill at least part of this void, and further emphasize Vecchi's importance in the culmination of cinquecento secular music. Orazio Vecchi was born in Modena in 1550, and received his early ecclesiastical and musical training there. By 1579, he had taken the holy orders, developed into an accomplished courtier, and had been accepted into the Venetian circle of A. Gabrieli, and Merulo among others. He left his position in Salo as Maestro di Cappella to accept a similar position in Modena at the Cathedral in 1584. By 1585 he had already established himself with Gardano in Venice, and published three books of canzonette and one of madrigals. Meager finances, and family responsibilities made a more remunerative position in Correggio attractive to him, and so he accepted their offer in 1586. During the next five years he published two books of canzonette, a book of Lamentations, one of motets, another of madrigals, and his Selva di varia ricreatione of 1590, the first of his large secular words. His dedications seem to indicate that he was again searching for a new position. He joined G. Gabrieli and Balbo in 1591 in revising the Graduale Romano, and was raised to the status of Archdeacon in the same year, evidence of his rise in fame and esteem. [To continue reading the abstract please see the pdf]