Marcello, Benedetto
Marcello, Benedetto
Born in Venice in 1696; died at Brescia in July, 1739. Marcello’s life was a strange mixture of the political and the artistic. In 1730 he became Proveditore of Pola, but his health failed here and he assumed the duties of Camerlengo at Brescia. He furnished the libretto of Ruggieri’s “Arato in Sparta”. The library at San Marco in Venice possesses the manuscript copy of his well known “Teoria Musicale” and in the Royal Library of Dresden are original copies of “Il Timoteo” and “La Cassandra”. The Royal Library at Brussels has preserved the MS. copy of “II Trionfo della Musica nel celebrarsi la morte di Maria Vergine”. His great “Paraphrase of the Psalms” is his best work though his a settings of the Salve Regina, the Miserere, and the Lamentations of Jeremias contain features of deep interest to the student of the history of music. The “Paraphrase” appeared in instalments, the first publication being in 1724. His collaborator was the poet Giustiniani.
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BURNEY, General History of Music, IV; GROVE, Dictionary of Music; BINGLEY, History of the Musicians of 16th and 17th Centuries, II.
WILLIAM FINN Transcribed by Joseph P. Thomas
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume IXCopyright © 1910 by Robert Appleton CompanyOnline Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. KnightNihil Obstat, October 1, 1910. Remy Lafort, CensorImprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York
Fuente: Catholic Encyclopedia
Marcello, Benedetto
an eminent Italian composer of sacred music, was born at Venice, July 24, 1686. He made a thorough study of music under various masters, and at the same time studied law and became an advocate, holding several offices under the government. He was a member of the Council of Forty, and treasurer at Brescia, where he died, July 17, 1739. His most esteemed work is his music for Giustiniani’s version of Fifty Psalms, of which a fine edition was published by John Garth, of Durham, in eight volumes folio, with English words. His other works consist of oratorios, masses, cantatas, madrigals, and different parts of the Roman Catholic service. He also left a MS. treatise on music.