An Early Handel Revival in Florence

An Early Handel Revival in Florence Author(s): John A. Rice Source: Early Music, Vol. 18, No. 1, The Baroque Stage II (Feb., 1990), pp. 62-71 Published by: Oxford University Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3127851 . Accessed: 11/06/2014 19:30 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. . Oxford University Press is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Early Music. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 134.84.192.101 on Wed, 11 Jun 2014 19:30:15 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions John A. Rice An early Handel revival in The vigour that characterized Florentine musical life duringthe second half of the 18th century owed much to the musical patronage of Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo, who ruled Tuscanyfrom 1765 to 1790. Born in Vienna in 1747, Pietro Leopoldo was trained not only as a sovereign but as a musician, at a court where the patronage of music was a regular part of daily business. He took naturallyto the idea that he should attend to the same business in Tuscany, and he assembled in Florence a group of musicians of considerable talent and fame. The singers Giovanni Manzuoli and Ferdinando Tenducci, the violin virtuoso Pietro Nardini and the flautist Niccolo Dotel counted themselves among Pietro Leopoldo's virtuosi di camera,the distinguished composer of music for chamber and church Carl'AntonioCampion served Pietro Leopoldo as maestrodi cappella in charge of sacred music; Marchese Eugenio di Ligniville, praised by Leopold Mozart as 'the best contrapuntist in all Italy', directed the performance of secular music at court. The GrandDuke took an active interest in ballet and opera. He hired as his maestrodi ballo Antoine Pitrot, one of Europe'sleading choreographers and a pioneer in the genre of pantomime ballet. He subsidized the performance in Florence of several operas by Tommaso Traetta,including his Viennese masterpiece Ifigenia in Tauride.1 Pietro Leopoldo's musical interests extended to oratorio and similar genres. Students of Handel have paid little attention to a series of performances of Handel's vocal music in Florence during the early years of Pietro Leopoldo's reign.2 Alexander'sFeast, Messiahand Acisand Galateaall received what seem to have been their first Italian performances in Florence between 1768 and 1772; possibly JudasMaccabaeusas well was performedduringthis period. The first of the performances, that of Alexander'sFeast on 21 April 1768, is the earliest performance yet documented of one of Handel's large-scale English choral works on the European mainland. Many of the performances came about largelythroughthe musical interests of an importantEnglish resident of Florence, but they were Florence encouraged by the Grand Duke, and his musicians took partin them; some of the laterperformanceswere organized by Pietro Leopoldo's music director Ligniville. The Florentine Handel revival is of particular interest in the way it anticipated later 18th-century revivals of Handel's music in Germany and Vienna. Most of the works performedin Florence later formed the core of the Handel repertory north of the Alps. Handel's choruses won special acclaim in Florence; indeed, as we shall see, works without choruses were deliberately avoided. Subsequent Handel revivals in Germany and Vienna were likewise dominated by Handel's choral music. Music of Handel's English period may have been heard in Florence as early as 1742. The British charge d'affairesHorace Mann subscribed to an organization of Florentine music-lovers that sponsored concerts, and he asked his friend Horace Walpole in Englandto send music: 'I have promised for the benefit of the accademiato get from EnglandHendel's overturesand Corelli's concerts, and in return I'll send you all the pretty airs I can get.'3 Twenty years later, in 1762, Mann wrote again to Walpole about Handel's music, requesting '12 oratoriiof Hendel, with their scores,that is, all the parts',for a soprano who had enchanted him, 'Madame Branchi, a most divine singer'.4 But it was not until after PietroLeopoldo's arrivalin Florence that we see evidence of an interest in Handel's music at the Tuscan court, interest excited mainly by the eccentric English expatriot George Nassau Clavering, Third Earl Cowper (1738-1789) (illus.1). LordCowperwas one of the richest residents of Florence, a collector of paintings and a generous patron of poets and scientists as well as of musicians. Within a few months of Pietro Leopoldo's arrivalin Florence, Cowperhad established close ties with the Grand Duke. It was rumoured that Lord Cowper's beautiful young English wife, whom he married in 1775, was one of Pietro Leopoldo's mistresses, and that Cowperwas not entirely againstthe arrangement. But even before his marriage Cowper exercised considerable influence at court, and this influence EARLYMUSICFEBRUARY 1990 This content downloaded from 134.84.192.101 on Wed, 11 Jun 2014 19:30:15 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 63 "9 "" ~~t ~L• ,I r?. I J * 1 George Nassau Clavering,Third Earl Cowper (1738-1789) Portrait by Johann Zoffany (Private Collection) 62 EARLYMUSIC FEBRUARY1990 This content downloaded from 134.84.192.101 on Wed, 11 Jun 2014 19:30:15 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions extended to musical matters.5 Lord Cowper had several of Handel's works performed at his Florentine villa. The Gazzetta toscana, the Tuscan court's weekly newsletter whose pages provide us with much valuable information about musical life in Florence during Pietro Leopoldo's reign, had nothing but praise for the first of Cowper's Handel programmes: In the Villade' Tre-Visi,where MylordCowperhas previously given magnificent entertainments, on the evening of Thursdaythe 21st [of April 1768] he presented to a select company of 60 ladies and at least 200 gentlemen a sumptuous concert of vocal and instrumental music. The noble guests, among whom were Their Excellences Count Orsini Rosenburg, Count Thurn, court officials, foreign ambassadors, and all the eligible foreigners who are presently in Florence, were served continuously with excellent refreshments; the internal illumination of the ground-floor apartments opening onto the room corresponded to the magnificence of the rest. The concert consisted of a cantata for three voices (soprano, tenor and bass), which had already been set to music by Sig. Handel, the famous English maestro di cappella, to Englishwordsby the celebratedSig. Dryden,and now translated into our language with such felicity that the same music that went so well with the English language was perfectly suited to Italian words. The poem, a dithyramb entitled IIconvitodi AlessandroMagno.was well printed in the form of a libretto and distributed to every guest. The characterof the music was always varied and always lively, expressing almost every passion of man, for it passed from the majestic to the cheerful, from the mournful to the tender, and so on. The arias were frequent and enlivened by choruses that completed them, and arrangedin such a way that every singer and diverse instrument had a real part in the choruses. On account of all these things the distinguished assembly of persons was fully contented with this amusement, which one can say was new of its kind.6 Less than a week after the performance of Alexander's Feast at Cowper's villa, it was repeated at the Pitti Palace, at Pietro Leopoldo's request: In a privateconcert held at court, on the evening of Saturday 23rd [April 1768], the cantata that Mylord Cowper had performed, as we reported last week, was repeated at the request of the Royal Sovereign. The cantata, performed by the same musicians, both singers and instrumentalists, earned the satisfaction of both TheirRoyalHighnesses. The merit of having adapted the English music to Italian words belongs to Sig. Pazzaglia, and no less to Sig. Abate Pillori, who together produced the concert, the formeras maestro di cappella and the latter as translatorand poet.' The approval of the Grand Duke and Duchess would 64 have led Florentines to suspect that further performances of Handel's works were forthcoming. In August 1768 they read the following in the Gazzetta toscana: In order to satisfy the inclinations of His Royal Highness, who found in the CantataAlessandro,a work of the famous Hendel, music of astonishing taste and depth, Mylord Nassau ClaweringCowperorderedthat many scores by this composer be sent from London, among them an oratorio entitled II Messia, composed with no less spirit than the above-mentioned cantata. And in as much as this oratorio was a setting of English poetry, it was necessary to translate it, with the same quantity and quality of words, into our idiom; this was done by the previously mentioned Signore Abate Pillori. Thus faithfully translated, and after several rehearsals(alwaysunder the direction of Sig. Pazzaglia,who led about 40 persons, instrumentalistsand singers, through the English score), the above-mentioned Mylord had the honour of dedicating the score and the printedlibrettoto His Royal Highness, who, as a sign of his approval,wished, on Saturdaylast, to hearthis production at the RegioPalazzode' Pitti, with the same number of musicians as was needed at the rehearsal.8 Cowper had Alexander's Feast performed again in October, according to Horace Mann: 'Yesterday many of us dined at Court', he wrote to Horace Walpole on 25 October 1768, 'and in the evening Lord Cowper had Alexander'sFeast by Handel performed at his villa about a mile from town, and it was followed by a ball.'9 The performances continued under the auspices of the Accademia degl'Armonici, a society of Florentine music-lovers of which Cowper was a member. A concert on 3 March 1769 which included 'many learned compositions' featured a performance of Il convito di Alessandro,- on 18 April 1769 Il convito di Alessandro was repeated at court.1' The grand-ducal virtuoso Tommaso Guarducci took part in a performance of II Messia at another academy, the Accademia degl'Ingegnosi, on 8 April 1770." One of the musicians that we might expect to have taken a particular interest in the performances of Handel's music in Florence was Marchese di Ligniville, Pietro Leopoldo's music director from 1767 (illus.2). Ligniville was a composer of merit, especially in a strict contrapuntal style. His contrapuntal skills are evident in his Stabat mater a 3 voci in canone, published in Bologna and Florence in at least two editions, and dedicated to Pietro Leopoldo. Leopold Mozart and his son met Ligniville on their travels throughout Italy in 1770. Leopold's high opinion of Ligniville's musical abilities has already been cited; here it might be added that the Mozarts were so 1990 EARLYMUSICFEBRUARY This content downloaded from 134.84.192.101 on Wed, 11 Jun 2014 19:30:15 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions i 3xA > ot• \'q\•• v, ,O'SV' ] , 2 Marchese Eugeniodi Liginville(1730 - 1788).Portraitby Angelo Crescimbeni(Bologna,Civico Museo BibliograficoMusicale). EARLYMUSIC FEBRUARY1990 This content downloaded from 134.84.192.101 on Wed, 11 Jun 2014 19:30:15 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 65 impressed by the Stabat mater that young Wolfgang copied out nine of its canons, and these were subsequently attributed to Mozart for many years.12 It was not difficult for the contrapuntally-minded Ligniville to see the value of Handel's choral music. The Gazzetta toscana reported the performance of several Handel works in Ligniville's palace, but not until March 1772, considerably after the performances sponsored by Cowper. Ligniville's concerts included performances of II convito d'Alessandro and II Messia. Among the singers were two of Pietro Leopoldo's virtuosi di camera, Giovanni Manzuoli and Giacomo Veroli; Pietro Nardini, Pietro Leopoldo's most famous instrumentalist, enlivened the proceedings with the performance of a violin concerto.13 The following month Acis and Galatea entered the repertory: A magnificent and sumptuous academy of vocal and instrumentalmusic, honoured by the Royalpresence of our Sovereigns,was given on Thursdayevening [9 April1772]by Sig. Marchese di Ligneville, Chamberlainof TheirRoyaland Imperial Majesties [Maria Theresa and Joseph II], a nobleman strongly inclined to music, and by consequence to other sublime sciences. A superb cantata entitled Acis e Galatea,set to music by the famous Hendel, was played, and accompanied by excellent musicians, who merited the sovereign's satisfaction.'4 Pietro Leopoldo seems indeed to have been pleased, because soon after these performances Ligniville wrote to his friend Padre Giovanni Battista Martini in Bologna, informing him (inaccurately, in view of Cowper's role) that he himself had introduced Handel's music to the Grand Duke, and asking him to send more of Handel's music to Florence.15 Ligniville named the compositions by Handel already performed in Florence, including in his list Judas Maccabaeus, a work unmentioned by the Gazzetta toscana in its reports of Handel performances. He made it clear that it was 'Handel's music with choruses' that had pleased Pietro Leopoldo; and in asking Martini to send more of Handel's music, he specified 'works with chorus'. Havinggiven His RoyalHighness the GrandDuke a taste for Handel's music with choruses, and having taken great pleasure in the same, but having no more than four works, namely IItrionfod'Alessandro, IIMessia,II GiudaMaccabeoand L'Acie Galatea,which have already been heard with great pleasure several times, and in orderto maintainthis prince's taste for true, good music, I turn to you with a request that you please send me all the works with chorus of the abovementioned Handel. I shall be eternally grateful for this, being sure that in all Italy I can obtain this favour only from 66 you, given that these works cannot be understood except by those who appreciate and recognize what is good.'6 Ligniville went on to promise that he would have Padre Martini's originals quickly copied and returned to him. We know from Ligniville's next letter to Martini, dated 5 June 1772, that Martini sent him a single book containing music by Handel, together with a list of other works by Handel in his collection. In his letter of 5 June Ligniville thanked Martini for 'the book of music of our celebrated Handel', and asked him in the same sentence to send some of the works on the list that Martini had sent: Atalante, Admetus, Adriano, Ariodante, Orfeus, Araxerseo, Pastor fido and Apollo's feast17 Atalante is evidently the opera Atalanta (1736); Admetus, the opera Admeto (1727); Ariodante,the opera Ariodante(1735); Araxerseo,the opera Serse (1738); Pastor fido, the opera IIpastorfido (1712, revised 1734). Adriano is possibly a corruption of Ariadne,the English title of the opera Arianna (1734); Apollo's Feast is the title of an anthology of Handel's operatic arias, issued in five volumes by J. Walsh and J. Hare, London. Orfeus may be the cantata beginning with the words 'Dalle tenebre orrende', based on the story of Orpheus and Euridice, a work whose attribution to Handel is doubtful. Ligniville was bound to be disappointed by Padre Martini's response to this request. Pietro Leopoldo's music director had asked specifically for works with chorus; unknowingly he now was asking Martini to send him works that-in so far as they can be few choruses or none at all, in the identified--contain case of the operas whose only coro is the short, homophonic ensemble with which they end. On 23 June 1772 Padre Martini sent Ligniville three works: Apollo'sFeast Adriano and Admetus.18Ligniville realized quickly that these were not the kind of works he had in mind. He sent them back to Martini on 27 June, explaining that he had not had them copied, 'since they have no choruses, without which they are unsuitable for the purpose they must serve'. 9 Librettos for some of the Handel performances in Florence survive to give us an idea of what the performances were like. Shown in illus. 3 and 4 are the title pages of a Messiah performed in Florence in 1770 and an Alexander'sFeast performed in 1772. The two texts have been treated quite differently. Messiah has been condensed from three parts to two, with many numbers, including recitatives, arias and choruses, omitted. Dryden's text for Alexander's Feast, on the 1990 EARLYMUSICFEBRUARY This content downloaded from 134.84.192.101 on Wed, 11 Jun 2014 19:30:15 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions other hand, has been translated in its entirety. Part I of II Messia is an abridged version of Handel's Part I. with the Halleluia chorus transferred from the end of Handel's Part II to replace the chorus that originally ended Part I, 'His yoke is easy'. Part II combines Handel's Parts II and III. A survey of what is left of Handel's Part II indicates the extent to which Messiah has been abridged. The beginning of Part II in the Italian corresponds to the beginning of Part II in Handel's original. The chorus 'Behold the Lamb of God' ('Gia vien l'Agnel di Dio') is followed by the air for contralto 'He was despised' ('Tormento -atroce/Disprezzo, e Croce'). The great sequence of choruses, 'Surely He hath borne our griefs', 'And with His stripes we are healed' and 'All we like sheep have gone astray' is entirely omitted by the translator, who takes up again with the recitative for tenor 'All they that see Him, laugh Him to scorn' ('Ognun che il vede, in faccia a Lui ridea'), which is followed by the fugal chorus'He trusted in God' ('In Dio confida'); after this, as in Handel's original, comes the recitative for tenor 'Thy rebuke hath broken His heart' ('L'acerba tua censura il cuor gli punge' and the short arioso'Behold and see if there be any sorrow' ('Deh dimmi, o passeggiero / Se v'e dolor si fiero'). The Florentine version omits the following recitative and air for tenor and goes straight to the chorus 'Lift up your heads, o ye gates' ('Nubi rompete/I1 vostro velo'). The translation tries to reconcile two conflicting aims. It attempts to transform the English prose of 3 Title page of a libretto of Messiah as performed in Florence in 1770. (Florence, Biblioteca del Conservatorio Luigi Cherubini) ILM E I OIN A ED IN IA ioCT ININGLESE '.R1TTO M H S S A QuAARO ourDxIO MtUIC- DAL N ORA C1, PO 11S D E L TRADOTTO PAROLE ITALIAN I: LLLAMUSICASTESSA. & 4 Title page of a libretto of Alexander'sFeast as performed in Florence on 19 April 1772. (Florence, Biblioteca del Conservatorio Luigi Cherubini) IL CONVITO D ALESSANDRO M A G N O, 051 .4 LAFORZA D L'AR"MONA DI T I R A NMBO DEL SIG. DRYDEN POETA lE$OS INNGLESE MU I IN SIC DAL SIGNOR HANDEL ,ID OVA AI)ATI'41O A It O)N PROLL C* anato a nella Sala /a ftr I s l de'" .4,c j, mia de o STAMPERIA C..La SI1 de', Ipy.Afrile 1'7 , ;AE N Z E X ": SNKLLA l M 'ICA 11AI-IAN . MDCCL•I .,d"r"EONDUCC1t,,. tiri. Ak Handel's original text into Italian poetry, and at the same time it claims to be singable to Handel's music. The idea that a composer could set prose to music, as Handel did, must have seemed strange to the Italian poet. Italian librettos of the 18th century, both sacred and secular, comic and serious, consisted normally of poetry throughout: blank verse of seven or eleven syllables for recitative, various poetic forms with various rhyme-schemes for arias, ensembles and choruses. The translation adopts these elements, with the predictable result that the text differs greatly from Handel's in number of syllables, patterns of accents, and in its use of rhyme. Take, for example, the first recitative 'Comfort ye my people', and the air 'Ev'ry valley'. Comfortye me people, saith your God:speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem,and cry unto her, that her warfareis accomplish'd, that her iniquity is pardon'd. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord,makestraightin the desert a highwayfor our God. AIR Ev'ryvalley shall be exalted, and ev'ry mountain and hill made low; the crooked straight, and the rough places IN FIRENZE MDCCLXX. Pg h CimBaziSc <chi, e,Anfxi.oGuLppc CM b--ism plain. Handel's arioso setting of the first part of the text encouraged the translator to treat that part of the text as an aria, that is, a poem with metre and rhyme (the versification and rhyme here are both somewhat irregular): EARLYMUSICFEBRUARY 1990 This content downloaded from 134.84.192.101 on Wed, 11 Jun 2014 19:30:15 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 67 Burney'scriticism does not apply well to the translation under consideration here, which is certainly not unintelligible, and does, for the most part,fit Handel's music well. Neither the translator'sexplanation nor Burney's criticism applies to the recitatives in this Italian version. Here there is no 'tenderness for the musician': the Italian poet transformed most of the recitatives into standard seven-and eleven-syllable The Italian poet translated the next part of the lines of Italian recitative verse. But the translator's recitative as standard seven- and eleven-syllable concern to preservethe integrityof the music, even at the expense of his Italian poetry, does indeed hold Italian blank verse: true for most of the arias and choruses. Odila voce,che gia grida attorno; The first aria-chorus, Drittocamminoadorno Confortatio Sion: L'annunziaIddio. Ecco adempito Tuobel desio. Esclama,esclama, La mia felicita Giaiviene,ed ha perdono L'iniquita. Si preparial Signore; E a Lui dentroal deserto Un nuovosia da voi sentieroaperto. Happy, happy, happy pair! None but the brave None but the brave None but the brave deserves the fair. And for Handel's aria the poet fitted his translation is rendered thus: into the rhymes and metres of Italian lyric poetry: Caracoppiaamorti fe Cheal fortesol [Cheal fortesol Cheal fortesoll la bella di?. Ognivalle Ecco esaltata,Ed ogni monte Al basso e gia.d II tortocalle Svanisce,e l'aspro Sappianera.d Here the translatorpreserved Dryden'ssyllable-count and rhyme scheme, giving up only the repetition of 'happy' in the first line, a repetition that Hande'l's There are only a few lines here that can be sung to music takes great delight in. The result, while not Handel's notes as he wrote them. The translation particularlyelegant, convey's Dryden'smeaning, and forced the singer of this passage to add and subtract is certainly singable. notes in many measures of Handel's vocal line. The In the translation of Handel's chorus in praise of same can be said for much of the rest of the Bacchus the poet gave up his attempts at rhyme and translation. regular metre and concentrated instead on finding From a note that the translator appended to the words that would fit Handel's music. Dryden wrote: version of Alexander'sFeast cited above, we might Bacchus ever fair and young expect that in this translationhe showed more respect Drinkingjoys did first ordain; for Handel's music than did the translatorof Messiah. Bacchus' blessings are a treasure; In apologizing for the weaknesses of his translation, Drinkingis the soldier's pleasure; the author pointed out that 'he was limited by the Rich the treasure, music to certain words and certain phrases, because Sweet the pleasure; he wished that the metre of the original poet and the Sweet is pleasure after pain. In Florence audiences heard: expression of the composer be preserved'. Charles Burney harshly criticized a Florentine Baccobelloin fresca etd translation of Alexander's Feast, blaming the translator Invent l'uso del bere. for shaping his text to Handel'smusic, with no regard I suoi doni son potabili, for the sense of Dryden's poetry. The music, said Del guerrierconfortoamabile. Ricchidoni, Burney, was Almopiacer. set to a literalItaliantranslationgiven totidemsyllabis,in Bel goderdopo il penar. orderto preservethe music as entireas possible.Butthis tenderness for the musician, was so much at the expence of the poet, that Dryden's divine Ode, became not only unpoetical, but unintelligible in this wretched version.20 68 In ending the third and fourth lines with two unaccented syllables the translator had in mind not Dryden's poetry but Handel's music; the translation EARLYMUSICFEBRUARY 1990 This content downloaded from 134.84.192.101 on Wed, 11 Jun 2014 19:30:15 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 87 Bac-chus' bless - ings are a .I suoi do - ni son po - trea - sure; ta - bi-li, Drink- ing is the sol - dier's plea - sure; Del guer - rier con - for - to a - ma - bi-le. Feast'Bacchusever fairandyoung', Ex.1Handel,Alexander's bars 87-94 necessitates only the omission of two of Handel'sslurs (ex.1).The penultimate line in the Italianis clumsy:the music needs a weak syllable at the end of the line; the Italian provides a strong one; but in general this ariachorus is effectively rendered by the translator. The series of performances of Handel's vocal music organized by Marchese Ligniville duringthe Springof 1772 was the last major public manifestation of interest in Handel's vocal music in Florence. But Handel's music may have continued to interest Florentine music-lovers. The music library of the Conservatorio Luigi Cherubini in Florence, which preserves much of the music assembled by the grandducal family during the 18th and 19th centuries, includes many 18th-century scores of Handel's vocal music: Belshazzar, Alexander's Feast, Messiah, Jephtha, Judas Maccabaeusand several other works.21 Another important Florentine collection, the music library assembled during the late 18th and early 19th centuries by the Ricasolifamily, includes an unexpectedly large number of manuscriptsof works by Handel, mainly oratorios: full scores of Alexander'sFeast and Judas Maccabaeus,and a set of orchestral parts for Messiah.22 The presence in the ConservatoryLibrary and the Ricasoli Collection of much of the music performed during the Florentine Handel revival of 1768-72 suggests that the revival led to further, less publicized performances of Handel's music at court and in the palaces of the Ricasoli and other Florentine music-lovers. And the Florentine Handel revival had repercus- sions in a musical capital far more important than Florence: Vienna. The political and dynastic links between Florence and Vienna meant that there were musical connections between the two cities. The couriers and post-chaises that travelledback and forth between the Habsburg and Tuscan capitals carried letters, diplomatic papers and financial documents; they carried music as well. Already in 1772, when CharlesBurneyvisited Vienna, a Florentineversion of Alexander'sFeast had reached the shores of the Danube. Burney had nothing but disdain for the Italian translation, as we have seen. But even in what he called a 'wretchedversion', Handel'swork was well received in Vienna: 'Many parts of it were very much liked, in despite of the nonsense throughwhich it was conveyed to the ears of the audience'.23 The performancein Viennato which Burneyalluded may have been witnessed by Count Zinzendorf, Viennese bureaucrat and tireless music-lover, who wrote in his diaryon 10 March1771: 'Au concert ofi on donna Timoth6e et Alexandre,cantate de Hendel.' A year later Zinzendorf had another chance to hear Alexander'sFeast On 15 March 1772 he wrote: 'au concert spirituel. L'Oratoirede Thimothee et d'Alexandrefut mal rendu.'Wherethese concerts took place is unknown. Pohl, who quotes these entries from Zinzendorf's diaries, suggests that the first concert was one of a series that Zinzendorf attended at the palace of Prince Schwarzenberg.24The 'concert spirituel' of 1772 is likely to have been one of the Lenten concerts in the Burgtheater. In 1774, shortly after Handel's Alexander'sFeast began to find favourwith Viennese audiences, Johann Baptist Schenk began musical studies with Georg ChristophWagenseil in Vienna. Wagenseil's teaching materials included the oratorios of Handel, among them Alexander's Feast and Messiah. Schenk remem- bered that 'the sublime Handel was my highest ideal'; his memoirs make clear that, in Vienna just as in Florence, 'the sublime Handel'was the choral Handel, not Handel the composer of operas or instrumental music. Feastwasthe firstwork[of Handel's]myteacher Alexander's calledto myattentionandhe followedit withthe oratorios AthaliaandJudasMaccabaeus.Wagenseil also acquainted me with the beautifulpassages that could so frequentlybe withhis choruses, foundin Handel'sworks,andin particular andhe usedthese examplesforhis instruction.Theoratorio Messiahwas the last work which I studied under his guidance.25 Further evidence for the central place of Handel's choruses in the revival of interest in his music is a Viennese review of Haydn'soratorioIl ritornodi Tobia, first performedin Vienna in 1775. The review praised Haydn's choruses, which, it said, 'glowed with a fire that was otherwise only in Hindel'.26 Later, when EARLYMUSICFEBRUARY 1990 This content downloaded from 134.84.192.101 on Wed, 11 Jun 2014 19:30:15 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 69 Baron Gottfried van Swieten presented concerts of Handel's music in Vienna, his choice of repertory continued to emphasize Handel's choral music. As one of his admirers put it, Van Swieten 'especially loves the Handelian style, and mostly gives large choral works by him'.27 It is normal to credit Baronvan Swieten's influence for the increasing interest in Handel's vocal music in Viennafromthe late 1770s onward,as EdwardOlleson does in his article on Van Swieten in TheNew Grove ('The performance... of Judas Maccabaeus by the Tonkiinstler-Sozietit in 1779 was surely due to his influence.'). Baron van Swieten is said to have developed a taste for the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and Handel in northern Germany, where he served as Austrian ambassador, and to have brought that taste back to Viennawith him when he returnedin 1777. CertainlyBaronvan Swieten'srole in the revival of interest in Handel is an importantone, and it is good to recognize his achievement. But it is also clear that Van Swieten's productions of Acis and Galatea, Alex- ander'sFeast,Messiahand other worksduringthe 1780s and 1790s built on an appreciationof Handel'schoral works that was already firmly established in Vienna. That tradition of appreciation can be traced back to the Viennese performance of a Florentine version of Feastin 1771, when Baronvan Swieten was Alexander's still in Berlin.Throughthat performanceof Alexander's Feast the tradition can be traced back further, to the revival of Handel's choral works in Pietro Leopoldo's Florence. Ishould like to thank RobertL Weaver,who read a draft of this paper, for his corrections and suggestions. John A. Rice, VisitingAssistant Professorof Music at Colby Collegein Waterville,Maine, is presently working on a book on Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito for the CambridgeOpera Handbooh series. 1Forfurtherdetails on PietroLeopoldo as musical patron see J.A. Rice, Emperorand Impresario:LeopoldII and the Transformation of VienneseMusicalTheater1790-1792 (diss., U. of California,Berkeley, 1987), and, by the same author, 'GrandDuke Pietro Leopoldo as Patron of Florentine Music, 1765-1790', forthcoming in the preceedings of Patrons,Politics,Music and Art in Italy, 1738-1859: for the RicasoliCollection,Louisville, Kentucky, InauguralConference 1989. The spelling of the names Campion and Ligniville adopted here is based on their own signatures as they appear in letters and financial documents. 2M. Fabbri,'La giovinezza di Luigi Cherubininella vita musicale nel secondocentenariodella fiorentina del suo tempo',LuigiCherubini nascita (Florence, 1962), calls attention to the performances of Handel's vocal music in Florence; in 'Nuova luce sull'attivita fiorentino di Giacomo Perti, Bartolomeo Cristofori e Giorgio F. Haendel',Chigiana,xxi (1964),pp.143-90, Fabbriquotes extensively 70 from reports in the Gazzettatoscana,see especially pp. 186-90. The Florentine Handel revival is briefly discussed in T. Antonicek, Zur des 18. Jahrhunderts(Vienna, Musil in der2. Hdiilfte PflegeHdndelscher 1966). Antonicek'sstudy has much to say about EarlCowperand his family, but disappointinglylittle about the Handel revivalitself (see pp.37-40). 3Mannto Walpole, 12 August 1742, HoraceWalpole'sCorrespondence,ed. W. S. Lewis,48 vols. (New Haven,Connecticut, 1937-1983), xviii, p. 13 4Mannto Walpole, 15 May 1762, HoraceWalpole'sCorrespondence, xxii, pp.35-6 5For a broad view of Cowper's patronage of both the arts and sciences see B. Moloney, Florenceand England:Essays on Cultural Relationsin theSecondHalfof the EighteenthCentury(Florence, 1969), pp.47-64. On Cowper's musical patronage see, in addition to Antonicek, Fabbri,'La giovinezza di Luigi Cherubini':on Cowper's role as an agent for impresarios in London, see E. Gibson, 'Earl Cowperin Florence and his Correspondencewith the Italian Opera in London', ML,lxviii (1987), pp.235-52. 6Nella villa de' Tre-Visi,dove MylordCowperha dato altre volte magnifici trattenimenti,la sera del giovedi 21. andante fece sentire ad una scelta compagnia numerosa di sessanta Dame, e di almeno dugento Cavalieriuna suntuosa Accademia di canto, e di suono. I Nobili Convitati, fra' quali le L.L.E.E. il Sig. Conte Orsini di Rosenberg,il Sig. Conte di Thurn,le Carichedi Corte,MinistriEsteri, e tutti i Forestieriqualificati, che al presente si trovano in Firenze, furono serviti continuamente di eccellenti rinfreschi: l'illuminazione interna dei quartieri terreni che mettono sulla sala era corrispondente alla magnificenza di tutto il resto. L'Accademiae consistita in una cantata a tre voci di soprano, tenore, e basso, che fu gidmessa in musica dal Sig. Handel famoso maestro di cappella Inglese, sopra parole parimente Inglesi del celeberrimo poeta Sig. Dryden, state ora tradotte nel nostro idioma con tanta felicitY, che quella medesima musica, che faceva bene sopra il linguaggio Inglese si adatta benissimo all'espressioni Italiane. La poesia e del genere dei Ditirambicol titolo il Convito di Alessandro Magno, e questa propriamentestampata in libretto fu distribuita a ciascheduno dei Sigg. Convitati.Il genio della musica e stato semprevario, e sempre spiritoso, esprimendosi quasi tutte le passioni dell'uomo, poiche si passava ora dal maestoso all'allegro, ora dal flebile al tenero, ec. Le arie sono state frequenti, e rallegratedai cori, che le ripigliavano, e concertate cosi che ciascheduno cantore e i diversi strumenti aveva nei cori parte reale; per le quali cose tutte quel distinto congresso di persone restato pienamente pago di questo divertimento, che si pu6 dire nel suo genere nuovo. Gazzettatoscana(1768), p.79; quoted in an abbreviatedversion by MarioFabbri,"Nuovaluce," p. 187. Fabbrimistakenlygives the date of this performanceas 18 April.TheAustriannoblemen Count Franz Xavervon Orsini-Rosenbergand Count Franzvon Thurnwere both important officials of Pietro Leopoldo's court. 7Gazzettatoscana(1768), p.83; for the original see Fabbri,'Nuova luce', p. 187. SalvadorPazzaglia(1723-1807) was a native of Pistoia or Volterra.A keyboard player, composer and teacher, Pazzaglia served Cowperas music directorfor several years; he also served as music teacher to the grand-ducal court and, on the death of Carl'AntonioCampion in 1788, took over the position of grandducal maestro di cappella; see L. F. Casamorata, 'Salvatore Pazzaglia',Gazzettamusicaledi Milano,vi (1847), pp.297-9. 8Gazzettatoscana(1768), p.141; for the original see Fabbri,'Nuova luce', p. 188. 9Mannto Walpole, 25 October 1768, HoraceWalpole'sCorrespondence, xxiii, p.64; notice in the GazzettaToscana(1768), p.185 loGazzettatoscana (1769), pp.34,41,61; see Fabbri,'Nuova luce', pp.188-9 toscana(1770),p.57; see Fabbri,'Nuova luce, pp.188-9 11Gazzetta Verzeichnissdmt12L.R. von K5chel, Chronologisch-thematisches licher TonwerheWolfgang Amad6 Mozarts (Weisbaden, 7/1965), EARLYMUSIC FEBRUARY1990 This content downloaded from 134.84.192.101 on Wed, 11 Jun 2014 19:30:15 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Anhang A 17 toscana(1772), p.50; for the original see Fabbri,'Nuova 13Gazzetta luce', p. 189. 14Gazzetta toscana(1772), p.57; for the original see Fabbri,'Nuova luce', p. 190. 15Lignivillemust have been awarethat Martinihad by 1772 built up an extensive collection of Handel'smusic, partlywith the help of his former student J. C. Bach. In a letter from London dated 10 February1769 (A. Schnoebelen, PadreMartini'sCollectionof Lettersin Musicalein Bologna:an AnnotatedIndex the CivicoMuseoBibliografico (New York, 1979), no.4869) one Giovanni Salpietro reported to Martini that Bach was planning to send him some of Handel's oratorios in printed editions. In another letter, dated 25 July 1769, Salpietroreferredagain to a book of Handel's oratoriosdestined for Padre Martini'slibrary(Schnoebelen no.4870). 16Letterfrom Ligniville to Martini, 30 May 1772 (Schnoebelen no.2754), Bologna, Civico Museo Bibliografico Musicale. I am grateful to Professor Giorgio Piombini of the Civico Museo for providing me with photocopies of the Ligniville letters. 17Letterfrom Ligniville to Martini, 5 June 1772 (Schnoebelen no.2755) IsAlist of workssent by Martiniis preservedin Ligniville'sletter of 20 June 1772 (Schnoebelen no.2756). 19Letterfrom Ligniville to Martini, 27 June 1772 (Schnoebelen no.2757) 20P.A. Scholes, ed., Dr.Burney'sMusicalToursof Europe,(London, 1959) ii, p.83 21R.Gandolfi, C. Cordara,A. Bonaventura, Catalogodelle opere musicali... Bibliotecadel Conservatorio di Musica di Firenze(Parma, 1929; Bologna R1977) 22TheRicasoli Collection of musical manuscripts and prints is now part of the music library of the University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky. 23Scholes, Dr.Burney'sMusicalTours,ii, p.83, Antonicek,ZurPflege HaiidelscherMusik,p.6, was first to point out this passage in Burney as an important link between the revival of Handel's music in Florence and the later interest in Handel's music in Vienna. 24C.F. Pohl, JosephHaydn (Leipzig, 1878-82), ii, p.161. 25JohannBaptist Schenk, autobiographical sketch published in Studienzur Musihwissenschaft,xi (1924), pp.75-85; trans. P. Nettl, ForgottenMusicians(New York, 1951) 26Quotedin translationby H. C. RobbinsLandon,Haydn:Chronicle and Works,5 vols. (Bloomington, 1976-80), ii, p.215. 27Landon,Haydn,iv,p.28. 12th BAROQUE CLASSICAL & MUSIC ACADEMY Chateau de la Garenne-Lemot CLISSON (France) 19-25 July 1990 Kenneth GILBERT, harpsichord masterclass technique Frangoise MARMIN, harpsichord and style Jaap SCHRODER, baroque& classicalviolin Michel PIGUET, recorder & baroque oboe 27 July-2 August 1990 EARLYMUSIC May 1990 Lorenz Welker Dorothea Baumann Virginia Newes Maria Carmen Gomez on medieval music & romantic Cyril HUVE, classical piano on historicalinstruments moreinformation Academie Internationale de Musique Ancienne A.D.D.M. H6tel du Departement 3, quai Ceineray 44041 NANTES CEDEX (FRANCE) EARLYMUSIC FEBRUARY1990 This content downloaded from 134.84.192.101 on Wed, 11 Jun 2014 19:30:15 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 71