II.—ITALY.
In musical execution, the early schools of Italy showed a marked superiority over the rest of Europe, particularly with regard to the violin.
Corelli, who was born in 1653, was the first to establish a new school in instrumental composition, distinguished from that which preceded it by a graceful, rhythmical and natural manner of writing. He was the first composer who brought the violin into repute; and his originality, facility and delicacy of style, greatly contributed to the popularity of the violin. He was founder of the Roman, or what may now be called the ancient school of violinists, and obtained the proud title of “Princeps Musicorum.” After the publication of Corelli’s works, there was scarcely a town in Italy where the violin was not cultivated and in which some distinguished performer on that instrument did not reside. Most of his contemporaries formed themselves on his model—as Albioni, of Venice, Torelli, of Verona, Valentini (whose works were published in Holland), and Marietto, who was a Neapolitan violinist attached to the household of the Duke of Orleans.
Tartini, born 1692, the most celebrated performer on the violin of his day, formed all his scholars on the solos of Corelli.[4] He was the first who observed the phenomenon of the third sound, which he did in the year 1714, at Venice. This is the resonance of a third note when the two upper notes of a chord are sounded; and may be distinctly heard if a series of consecutive thirds are played on the violin, they being perfectly in tune.
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Let us now briefly notice the two great Italian schools of violin makers, which, up to the end of the seventeenth century, had been called into existence.
The first was the Brescian school, the founder of which was Gasparo da Salo. This maker, as we have mentioned elsewhere, was the first to introduce the violin in its present size and shape. The next representative of this school was John Paul Maggini, who worked from 1600 to 1640. Other makers there were, viz., Mariani, Buddiani, Ambrosi, Bente, Pietro Sancto Maggini (son of J. P. Maggini), but they call for no special comment.
The next great school was the Cremonese, founded by Andreas Amati, who was succeeded by his sons, Antony and Hieronymus Amati, and they worked together for some time. The most noted of this family was Nicolas Amati (born 1596, died 1684). The Cremonese renown for violin making, however, attained its climax in the productions of Antony Stradivarius (1644-1737) and Joseph Guarnerius (1683-1745). The various lesser lights who worked in these two schools will be duly noticed in the biographical portion of this work.
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The music of this period falls next to be noticed. Mr. Charles Reade, in his able articles on Cremona fiddles, which appeared in the August numbers of the “Pall Mall Gazette” for 1872, states, “Man invents only to supply a want.” This observation is peculiarly applicable to the violin; for we find that with the advancement of musical composition came the desire to attain greater perfection in the art of violin making. This is illustrated by the fact that the performance of modern music would be next to impossible on one of the old violins, by reason of the then shortness of the neck; hence arises the necessity for refitting old violins with longer necks, thus giving the performer greater command over the high notes, and adding largely to the strength of the instrument.
The use of the violin in the orchestra began to receive recognition with the dawn of the seventeenth century. Monteverde, in his opera of “Orfeo,” printed in 1615, scores for “two little French violins” (piccoli violini alla Francese).
Without referring to the periods anterior to the seventeenth century, concerning which we have little or no information, we know that during the first two generations of that century, music in Italy was mostly in the madrigal style. The capabilities of instrumental music, apart from the voice, however, were soon discovered, and composers entered gladly upon a new and wide field of musical effort. The compositions were usually comprehended under the names of studies, fantasias, capricci, sonatas, concertos and other pieces in various styles.
Corelli has been accredited with fixing the form of the sonata, and Torelli, his contemporary, with inventing the concerto.
When dramatic music began to prevail under Corelli, it was scientific and rather dry, Geminiani first enriched it by expression; but it was under Tartini that it attained the highest degree of expression, both as to composition and execution. Soon after this period the concerto was greatly improved in the hands of Jarnowick and Mestrino, both of whom were still surpassed by Viotti, who gave to this style the character which seems so peculiarly its own and brought it to a degree of perfection which it seems incapable of exceeding.
These remarks apply equally to solo as to concerted music: by which term we understand music for several voices or instruments, the parts of which do not stand in the relation of solo and accompaniments, but are of nearly equal importance; equally obbligato, either because each of them has its appropriate part, or because each takes up the strain successively, the others alternately becoming accompaniments. This method is practically alike in the duet, the trio, the quartet, the quintet, and other pieces where each instrument has its separate part.
Boccherini was the first who, in 1768, gave to these forms a fixed character. After him came Fiorillo, Giardini, Pugnani, and lastly, Viotti.
Such was the style of music, so far as the violin is concerned, from the time of Corelli to the commencement of this century.
Although Italy has since had to yield the palm for instrumental music to other countries, we must not overlook the fact that for generations she held undisputed sway in the realm of music; both as regards composers and performers.