Alessandro Melani (4 February 1639 – 3 October 1703) was an Italian composer and the brother of composer

Jacopo Melani Jacopo Melani (6 July 1623 – 18 August 1676) was an Italian musical composition, composer and violinist of the Baroque era. He was born and died in Pistoia, and was the brother of composer Alessandro Melani and singer Atto Melani. Works *165 ...

, and castrato singer

Atto Melani Atto Melani (30 March 1626, in Pistoia – 4 January 1714, in Paris) was a famous Italian castrato opera singer, also employed as a diplomat and a spy. Life Melani was born in Pistoia, the third of seven sons of a local bell-ringer. He was ca ...

. Along with

Bernardo Pasquini Bernardo Pasquini (Massa e Cozzile, 7 December 1637Rome, 21 November 1710) was an Italian composer of operas, oratorios, cantatas and keyboard music. A renowned virtuoso keyboard player in his day, he was one of the most important Italian composer ...

and Alessandro Scarlatti, he was one of the leading composers active in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

during the 17th century. He is also ranked among the second school of Roman

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

composers which began with his brother's 1668 opera '' Il Girello''. He is chiefly remembered today for his large output of

liturgical music Liturgical music originated as a part of religious ceremony, and includes a number of traditions, both ancient and modern. Liturgical music is well known as a part of Catholic Mass, the Anglican Holy Communion service (or Eucharist) and Evensong ...

that he wrote while serving in various musical posts in Rome. Of particular interest is the large number of

polychoral An antiphon (Greek ἀντίφωνον, ἀντί "opposite" and φωνή "voice") is a short chant in Christian ritual, sung as a refrain. The texts of antiphons are the Psalms. Their form was favored by St Ambrose and they feature prominently ...

motets that he produced and his eight ascribed

oratorio An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is ...

s. Three published collections of his liturgical music survive today along with numerous solitary motets from other published volumes. A number of original manuscripts also survive.

Biography

Born in Pistoia, Melani began singing at the

Pistoia Cathedral Pistoia Cathedral, or Cathedral of Saint Zeno ( it, Duomo di Pistoia or ''Cattedrale di San Zeno'') is the main religious building of Pistoia, Tuscany, central Italy, located in the ''Piazza del Duomo'' in the centre of the city. It is the seat o ...

at the age of 11, remaining there for ten years until he became ''

maestro di cappella (, also , ) from German ''Kapelle'' (chapel) and ''Meister'' (master)'','' literally "master of the chapel choir" designates the leader of an ensemble of musicians. Originally used to refer to somebody in charge of music in a chapel, the term ha ...

'' in Orvieto in 1663 and Ferrara in 1665. He returned to Pistoia in December 1666 to replace his brother as ''maestro di cappella'' of the cathedral in June 1667. The following October he was appointed ''maestro di cappella'' of the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. He remained there until July 1672 when he became the ''maestro'' at

San Luigi dei Francesi The Church of St. Louis of the French ( it, San Luigi dei Francesi, french: Saint Louis des Français, la, S. Ludovici Francorum de Urbe) is a Roman Catholic church in Rome, not far from Piazza Navona. The church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary ...

, remaining in that role until his death 31 years later. Melani was a favorite composer of Cardinal Giulio Rospigliosi (later Pope Clement IX). The

Papal conclave of 1667 The 1667 papal conclave was convened on the death of Pope Alexander VII and ended with the election of Cardinal Giulio Rospigliosi as Pope Clement IX. The conclave was dominated by factions loyal to the cardinal nephews of Alexander VII and Urba ...

commissioned him to write an opera (title now unknown) for Carnival of 1668. His next opera, '' L'empio punito'' (commissioned by

Marie Mancini Anna Maria (Marie) Mancini (28 August 1639 – 8 May 1715) was the third of the five Mancini sisters; nieces to Cardinal Mazarin who were brought to France to marry advantageously. Along with two of their female Martinozzi cousins, the Mancin ...

), premiered at Carnival a year later and was notably the first opera on the subject of

Don Juan Don Juan (), also known as Don Giovanni ( Italian), is a legendary, fictional Spanish libertine who devotes his life to seducing women. Famous versions of the story include a 17th-century play, ''El burlador de Sevilla y convidado de piedra'' ...

. In 1686 he collaborated with Scarlatti and Pasquini on the opera ''Santa Dimna''. In 1685 he composed an

, ''Golia abbattuto'', for King John III of Poland. The work was written to celebrate the Holy League's victory against the Turks; he gained the commission through the efforts of Pope Innocent XI. This coupled with the fact that Alessandro’s nephews were made a part of the minor nobility in Tuscany around this time has caused some scholars to speculate that politics played a role in the events surrounding the 1685 commission. Melani wrote another notable oratorio in 1690, ''Lo scisma nel sacerdozio'' (now lost), for

Francesco II d'Este Francesco II d'Este (6 March 1660 – 6 September 1694) was Duke of Modena and Reggio from 1662 to 1694. Biography He was born in Modena to Alfonso IV d'Este, duke of Modena, and Laura Martinozzi, niece of Cardinal Mazarin. His sister, Mary o ...

. Of all the oratorios attributed to him the most frequently performed was ''Il fratricidio di Caino''. He also enjoyed the patronage of

Ferdinando II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany Ferdinando II de' Medici (14 July 1610 – 23 May 1670) was grand duke of Tuscany from 1621 to 1670. He was the eldest son of Cosimo II de' Medici and Maria Maddalena of Austria. He was remembered by his contemporaries as a man of culture ...

and he was listed among the "celebrated professors of music protected by the Prince of Tuscany" in 1695. He died in Rome at the age of 64.

Works

Operas * ''L'Ergenia'' (Rome, 1668) * ''L'empio punito'' (Filippo Acciaiuoli and Giovanni Filippo Apolloni; Rome, 1669) * ''Le reciproche gelosie'' (Bartolomeo Nencini; Siena, 1677) * ''Il carceriere di sé medesimo'' (Ludovico Adimari; Florence, 1681) * ''Ama chi t’ama'' (Bartolomeo Nencini; Siena 1682) * ''L’Idaspe'' * ''Il conte d’Altamura ovvero Il vecchio geloso'' * ''La santa Dimna figlia del re d'Irlanda'' (Benedetto Pamphili; Rome, 1686, only act 1; act 2

, act 3 Alessandro Scarlatti) * ''L’innocenza vendicata overo La santa Eugenia'' (Giulio Bussi; Viterbo, 1686) Oratorios * ''La destruttione di Jerico'' (Rome, 1675) * ''La morte di Oloferne'' (libretto Bartolomeo Nencini; Rome, 1675) * ''Il giudizio di Salomone'' (Ferrara, 1676) * ''Il sacrificio d’Abel'' (Benedetto Pamphili; Rome, 1678) * ''Santa Francesca Romana'' (libretto Giulio Bussi; Rome, 1679) * ''Santa Rosa'' (libretto Giulio Bussi (?); Viterbo, 1686) * ''Lo scisma del sacerdozio'' (libretto Giovan Battista Giardini; Modena, 1691)

Sources

* Robert Lamar Weaver, "Alessandro Melani", ''

The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' is an encyclopedic dictionary of music and musicians. Along with the German-language ''Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart'', it is one of the largest reference works on the history and theo ...

'', 2001.
Arnaldo Morelli, "Melani, Alessandro", in Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani, vol. 58 (Rome, 2009)

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Melani, Alessandro 1639 births 1703 deaths Italian Baroque composers Italian male classical composers Italian opera composers Male opera composers People from Pistoia