The Italian Cantata in Vienna

A history of music for the imperial court "from a professor, choral director, and professional tenor who has studied Viennese cantatas for half a century" (Lowell Lindgren, Massachusetts Institute of Technology).

Lawrence Bennett provides a comprehensive study of the rich repertoire of accompanied vocal chamber music that entertained the imperial family in Vienna and their guests throughout the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. The cantata became a form of elite entertainment composed to amuse listeners during banquets or pay homage to members of the royal family during special occasions. Concentrating on Baroque cantatas composed in the Habsburg court, Bennett draws extensively on primary source material to explore the stylistic changes that occurred within the genre in the generations before Haydn and Mozart.

"An important book. It deserves to be warmly welcomed not only by scholars but also by performers of Baroque vocal chamber music." -Early Music

"Shed[s] light on an important yet seldom-discussed repertory, written by someone whose expertise is unquestionable." -Music and Letters

"By taking multiple analytical approaches, Bennett establishes an overall understanding while also demonstrating how individual composers approached the genre.... Recommended." -Choice

"An important tool for understanding the context in which cantatas were composed and performed, and in which the Hapsburgs' important music collection... was created." -Notes

"A wealth of new information... from a scholar who writes clearly and perceptively, and who has devoted decades of attention to the material." -Steven Saunders, Charles A. Dana Professor of Music, Colby College

Vorwort

Composing and performing for the Habsburgs

Autorentext

Lawrence Bennett is Professor Emeritus of Music and former Chair of the Music Department at Wabash College. He founded the Western Wind, a vocal ensemble that has toured professionally throughout North America, Europe, and Asia.

Zusammenfassung

Lawrence Bennett provides a comprehensive study of the rich repertoire of accompanied vocal chamber music that entertained the imperial family in Vienna and their guests throughout the 17th and early 18th centuries. The cantata became a form of elite entertainment composed to amuse listeners during banquets or pay homage to members of the royal family during special occasions. Concentrating on Baroque cantatas composed in the Habsburg court, Bennett draws extensively on primary source material to explore the stylistic changes that occurred within the genre in the generations before Haydn and Mozart.

Inhalt

Preface
List of Bibliographical Abbreviations
List of RISM Sigla

1. Introduction
   The Role of Music in the Daily Lives of the Habsburgs
   The Scope of the Book
   The Secondary Literature
   The Cantata Terminology
   Forerunners of the Cantata in Vienna
   Part I: The Cantata in Vienna, 1658-1700
2. The Political and Cultural Milieu
   Historical Background
   Leopold I as Patron and Composer
   Habsburg Music Chapels, 1658-1700
   Occasions, Places of Performance, and Performers
   Librettists
3. The Composers
   Composers Who May Have Written Cantatas for Vienna During the Early
   Reign of Leopold I
   Antonio and Carlo Draghi
   Filippo Vismarri
   Carlo Cappellini
   Giovanni Battista Pederzuoli
   Antonio Maria and Giovanni Buonaventura Viviani
   German-Speaking Composers
4. Repertoire and Sources
   The Repertoire
   The Sources
5. Text and Music
   Antonio Maria Viviani
   Antonio Bertali
   Filippo Vismarri
   Carlo Cappellini
   Giovanni Battista Pederzuoli
   Antonio and Carlo Draghi
   Part II: The Cantata in Vienna, 1700-1711
6. The Political and Cultural Milieu
   Historical Background
   Joseph I as Patron and Composer
   Cultural Growth
   Habsburg Music Chapels, 1700-1711
   Genre Designations
   Occasions, Places of Performance, and Performers
   Librettists and Librettos
7. The Composers
   Carlo Agostino Badia
   Giovanni Bononcini
   Marc'Antonio Ziani
   Attilio Ariosti
   Antonio Maria Bononcini
   Composers Who May Have Written Cantatas for Vienna
8. Repertoire and Sources
   New Interest in the Cantata
   The Repertoire of Cantatas by Habsburg Composers
   Sources
9. Style Overview
   The Style Transition
   Broad Structural Plans
   Selection of Voices
   Instrumentation
   Dynamics
   Recitative and Arioso
   Aria Keys
   Continuum (Tempo/Meter)
   The Use of Devisen
   Aria Designs
10. Aspects of Form
    The Conventional Da Capo Design
    Variants from the Conventional Design
    Articulation of Form
11. Melody, Harmony, and Rhythm
    Melody
    Harmony
    Surface Rhythm
    Changes in Timbre
12. The Relationship of Text and Music
    The Text and Its Influence upon the Musical Design
    The Interactions of the Text with Melody and Rhythm
    Tone Color and Dynamics
    Descriptive Treatment of the Text
    Affective Treatment of the Text
13. Conclusion: The Interregnum and Its Aftermath
    The End of the War of the Spanish Succession
    The Fate of the Cantata Composers and Librettists Who Served Joseph I
    The Cantatas by Composers Residing in Vienna During the Interregum
    Appendix A: Index of Cantata Text Incipits and Sources
    Appendix B: Catalogue Raisonné of Viennese Cantata Sources
    Appendix C: Texts of Arias Analyzed in Chapters 10-12
    Notes
    Bibliography