Antonio Gianettini
Antonio Gianettini was an Italian organist, concertmaster and composer.
Biography
Born in Fano, almost nothing is known about Gianettini's musical training; in 1662, sources place him in Venice, where he probably studied under the guidance of Sebastiano Enno. On 14 January 1674 he was admitted as a bass singer in the choir of the chapel of the Basilica of San Marco. Subsequently, on 5 December 1676 he was appointed as an organist at the Basilica of Santi Giovanni e Paolo with a salary of 40 ducats a year. In this period he studied music with Carlo Grossi and perhaps also with Giovanni Legrenzi. On 25 January 1677 he was also an organist at San Marco. From 1676 he started to be active as a composer: in this period he wrote about ten works in Venice and Milan and various sacred music. During years 1685-1686 he was also active as a composer and a capella teacher for the Duke of Hannover Ernest Augustus of Brunswick-Lüneburg. While there, he stayed in a building overlooking the Grand Canal.On May 1, 1686, Gianettini left his offices at San Marco to take the place of maestro di cappella at the court of Francesco II, Duke of Modena. His salary for his services to the court of Modena was 396 lire a month. For the Duke's court he wrote 9 oratorios, but also other sacred compositions, cantatas and serenades. With the outbreak of the Spanish succession war, Modena was occupied by the French and in 1702 he had to flee with Duke Rinaldo I to Bologna. After the war, in 1707 he returned to Modena, where he continued his work as the director of the chapel, but without receiving the high salary like years before. In 1710, he was part of the teaching faculty for the virtuosos of Modena, giving lessons to singers such as the Tenor Francesco Maria Cignoni. In May 1721 he decided to accompany her daughter Maria Caterina to Munich, a city where she was active as a singer at the Bavarian court and where he died shortly after.
Although rarely known now, Gianettini was considered as one of the most talented composers of his era. He was very much appreciated as an opera and composer of sacred music both in Italy and in Germany.
Works
Gianettini created oratorios, of which La morte di Cristo is the best known, as well as about 20 stage works, cantatas, masses and other sacred music.OratoriosAmore alle catene, oratorio di S Antonio; Modena, 1687 Jefte; Text, Giovanni Battista Neri; Modena, 1687; Music lostL’uomo in bivio; Modena, 1687La creatione de’ magistrati; Modena, 1688 La conversione della beata Margherita di Cortona; Modena, 1689; Music lostIl martirio di S Giustina; Modena, 1689; Music lostLa vittima d’amore ossia La morte di Cristo; Modena, 1690Dio sul Sinai; Modena, 1691; Music lostLe finezze della divina grazia nella conversione di S Agostino; Modena, 1697; Music lost
Stage worksMedea in Atene; Libretto: Aurelio Aureli; Venice, December 14, 1675L’Aurora in Atene; Libretto: G. Frisari; Venice, S. S. Giovanni e Paolo, 1678Echo ravvivata; festive music, 3 acts; Venice, 1681Irene e Costantino; Venice, San Salvatore, 1681Temistocle in bando; Libretto: Antonio Morselli; Venice, San Cassiano, December 4, 1682L’Ermione riacquistata; Libretto: F. Pazzaglia; Venice, Palace of the Prince Alessandro Farnese, March 29, 1683; Music lostIl giuditio di Paride; trattenimento da camera, 1 act; Venice, June 1685La Fedeltà consolata dalla Speranza; Libretto: Nicolò Beregan, Serenata; Venice, August 1685Amor sincero; Libretto: N. Beregan, Serenade; Venice, July 1686L’ingresso alla gioventù di Claudio Nerone; Libretto: G.B. Neri; Modena, Fontanelli, November 4, 1692Introduzione alla festa d’armi e balli; Libretto: E. Pinamonte Bonacossi; Modena, 1699; Music lostTito Manlio; Libretto: Matteo Noris, comedies; Reggio Emilia, 1701Virginio consolo; Libretto: M. Noris; Venice, San Angelo, 1704; Music lostArtaserse; Libretto: Apostolo Zeno and Pietro Pariati; Venice, San Angelo, 1705;I presagi di Melissa; Libretto: F. Torti, introduction to a dance party; Modena, 1709; Music lostPublio Scipione, ossia Il riparatore delle glorie romane; accademico tributo; Modena, July 1710; Music lostL’unione delle tre dee Pallade, Giunone e Venere; Libretto, G.M. Tommasi, Serenade; Modena, 1716; Music lostLa gara di Minerva e Marte; Modena, 1716; Music lostIl Panaro in giubilo; Libretto: G.M. Tommasi, Serenade; Modena, 1717; Music lost