Antonio Alessandro Boncompagno Stradella (

Bologna Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nat ...

, 3 July 1643 –

Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the List of cities in Italy, sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian ce ...

, 25 February 1682) was an Italian

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

of the middle

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

period. He enjoyed a dazzling career as a

freelance ''Freelance'' (sometimes spelled ''free-lance'' or ''free lance''), ''freelancer'', or ''freelance worker'', are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance w ...

composer, writing on commission, and collaborating with distinguished poets, producing over three hundred works in a variety of genres.

Life

Not much is known about his early life, but he was from a Tuscan

aristocratic Aristocracy (, ) is a form of government that places strength in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocrats. The term derives from the el, αριστοκρατία (), meaning 'rule of the best'. At the time of the word's ...

family, his father was Cavaliere Marc’ antonio Stradella of Piacenza. Stradella was educated at

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 ...

, and was already making a name for himself as a composer at the age of 24. In 1667 he composed a Latin oratorio (lost) for the Confraternity of Crocifisso di San Marcello and in the following year the serenata ''La Circe'' for the Princess of Rossano Olimpia Aldobrandini Pamphilj. In 1671–72 he collaborated in staging some operas, two by

Francesco Cavalli Francesco Cavalli (born Pietro Francesco Caletti-Bruni; 14 February 1602 – 14 January 1676) was a Republic of Venice, Venetian composer, organist and singer of the early Baroque music, Baroque period. He succeeded his teacher Claudio Monteverd ...

and two by

Antonio Cesti Pietro Marc'Antonio Cesti () (baptism 5 August 162314 October 1669), known today primarily as an Italian composer of the Baroque era, was also a singer (tenor), and organist. He was "the most celebrated Italian musician of his generation". Biogra ...

, at the Tordinona Theater, composing prologues, intermedios and new arias. In the early 1670s he also composed some operas performed in private theaters of aristocratic families. Stradella began to live a dissolute life. With

Carlo Ambrogio Lonati Carlo Ambrogio Lonati, baptized Giovanni Ambrogio Leinati, also Lunati; (c.1645 – c.1712) was an Italian composer, violinist and singer. Francesco Maria Veracini described him in 1760 as one of the most virtuoso violinists of his century. ...

he attempted to embezzle money from the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, but was found out: he fled the city, only returning much later when he thought it was safe. His numerous incautious affairs with women began to make him enemies among the powerful men of the city, and he had to leave Rome for good. In 1677 he went to

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

, where he was hired by a powerful nobleman, Alvise Contarini, as the music tutor to his mistress, Agnese Van Uffele. She and Stradella began an affair and fled Venice together for

Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...

, where they were protected by Marie Jeanne Baptiste of Savoy-Nemours, the regent of Savoy. Contarini followed and instructed the Archbishop that Uffele and Stradella must marry or that Uffele must take the veil. She did the latter, and then the two married in October; however, as Stradella left the convent after signing the contract, he was attacked from behind on 10 October by two would-be hired assassins, who believed him dead when they left him in the street. He was not. The two assassins took asylum with the French ambassador. That Contarini had hired the attackers became known, leading to complaints from the regent of Savoy to

Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Vers ...

; the matter became a topic of negotiation between the courts. In 1678 Stradella fled to

, where he met again with Lonati. He was paid to compose operas performed at Falcone Theater and music for the local nobility.

Murder

In 1682 he was stabbed to death at the ''Piazza Banchi''. A nobleman of the Lomellini family hired the killer that put an end to Stradella's life, although the identity of the killer was never discovered. Another report of his murderers states: "Stradella was murdered at Genoa by three brothers of the name of Lomellini, whose sister he had seduced". Stradella was buried in the

Santa Maria delle Vigne Santa Maria delle Vigne is a Roman Catholic basilica church in Genoa, Italy. It was built in the 10th century. The main altar was completed in 1730 by Giacomo Antonio Ponsonelli. The church is also the final resting place of the leading early It ...

Work

Stradella was an extremely influential composer at the time, though his fame was eclipsed in the next century by Corelli,

Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist and impresario of Baroque music. Regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, Vivaldi's influence during his lifetime was widespread a ...

and others. Some of his music was exploited by

George Frideric Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque music, Baroque composer well known for his opera#Baroque era, operas, oratorios, anthems, concerto grosso, concerti grossi, ...

, for example in ''

Israel in Egypt ''Israel in Egypt'', HWV 54, is a biblical oratorio by the composer George Frideric Handel. Most scholars believe the libretto was prepared by Charles Jennens, who also compiled the biblical texts for Handel's '' Messiah''. It is composed ...

.'' Probably his greatest significance is in originating the ''

concerto grosso The concerto grosso (; Italian language, Italian for ''big concert(o)'', plural ''concerti grossi'' ) is a form of baroque music in which the musical material is passed between a small group of soloists (the ''#Concertino, concertino'') and full orc ...

'': while Corelli in his Op. 6 was the first to publish works under this title, Stradella clearly uses the format earlier in one of his ''Sonate di viole''. Since the two knew each other, a direct influence is likely. Stradella wrote at least six

baroque 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 librett ...

s ''Le gare dell'amor eroico ossia l'Oratio'' Opera in three acts. Genova, Teatro Falcone 1679; revived Genova 2006. including a full-length comic opera ''

Il Trespolo tutore ''Il Trespolo tutore'' (''Trespolo the Tutor'') is a comic opera in three acts by the Italian composer Alessandro Stradella with a libretto by Giovanni Cosimo Villifranchi. It was first performed at the Teatro Falcone, Genoa on 30 or 31 January, ...

''. He also wrote more than 170

cantata A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir. The meaning of ...

s, at least one of which was based on a poem by

Sebastiano Baldini Sebastiano Baldini (1615–1685) was a satirical Roman poet, librettist for almost every composer operating in Rome at that time, and a secretary to a series of cardinals. The most important was Flavio Chigi. For his literary qualities and for his ...

, and six oratorios. Stradella composed 27 separate instrumental pieces, most for strings and basso continuo, and typically in the ''

sonata da chiesa Sonata da chiesa (Italian: "church sonata") is a 17th-century genre of musical composition for one or more melody instruments and is regarded an antecedent of later forms of 18th century instrumental music. It generally comprises four movements, t ...

'' format. He wrote two cantatas for the regent of Savoy, ''Se del pianeta ardente'' and ''Sciogliete i dolci nodi''.

Operas

* ''La Laurinda ovvero Il Biante'' (1672) (incidental music) * ''La Doriclea'' (1672) * ''Amare e Fingere'' (1676) * ''La forza dell'amor paterno'' (1678) * ''

'' (1679) * ''Le gare dell'amor eroico'' (1679) * ''

Moro per amore ''Moro per amore'' is a 1681 opera by Alessandro Stradella to a libretto by Flavio Orsini last duke of Bracciano. It was scheduled for Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth ...

'' (1681) * ''

Orazio Cocle Orazio is a male given name of Italian origin, derived from the Latin name ( ''nomen'') Horatius, from the Roman gens (clan) Horatia. People so named include: * Orazio Alfani (c. 1510–1583), Italian painter *Orazio Antinori (1811–1882), Ita ...

Oratorios

* ''Santa Editta, vergine e monaca, regina d'Inghilterra'' (Rome ''c''. 1672–73) * ''Ester liberatrice del popolo ebreo'' (Rome c 1673) * ''San Giovanni Battista'' (Rome, 1675) * ''Susanna'' (Modena, 1681) * ''San Giovanni Chrisostomo'' * ''Santa Pelagia''

Serenatas

* ''La Circe'' (1668) * ''La Circe'' (second version) * ''Il Duello'' ("Vola, vola, in alti petti") (1674) * ''Lo schiavo liberato'' (1674) * ''La forza delle stelle'' or ''Il Damone'' ("Or che il mondo ristaura") (1677) * ''Il Barcheggio'' (1681)

Legacy

His colorful life and his bloody death ordered by the powerful Lomellini family provided the basis for biographical operas such as ''Il cantore di Venezia'' by

Virginio Marchi Virginio is a given name, and may refer to: * Virginio Cáceres (born 1962), Paraguayan footballer * Virginio Colombo (1885–1927), Italian architect * Virginio Ferrari (born 1952), Italian motorcycle racer * Virginio Ferrari (artist) (21st centur ...

(1835), '' Stradella'' by

Louis Niedermeyer Abraham Louis Niedermeyer (27 April 180214 March 1861) was a Swiss and naturalized French composer. He chiefly wrote church music and a few operas. He also taught music and took over the École Choron, renamed École Niedermeyer de Paris, a scho ...

(

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, 1837), '' Stradella'' by

César Franck César-Auguste Jean-Guillaume Hubert Franck (; 10 December 1822 – 8 November 1890) was a French Romantic composer, pianist, organist, and music teacher born in modern-day Belgium. He was born in Liège (which at the time of his birth was p ...

(1841, unfinished), '' Alessandro Stradella'' by

Friedrich von Flotow Friedrich Adolf Ferdinand, Freiherr von Flotow /flo:to/ (27 April 1812 – 24 January 1883) was a German composer. He is chiefly remembered for his opera ''Martha'', which was popular in the 19th century and the early part of the 20th. Life ...

(

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

, 1844), ''Alessandro Stradella'' by

Adolf Schimon Adolf (also spelt Adolph or Adolphe, Adolfo and when Latinisation (literature), Latinised Adolphus) is a given name used in German language, German-speaking countries, Scandinavia, the Netherlands and Flanders, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, L ...

(1846), ''Stradella il trovatore'' by

Vincenzo Moscuzza Vincenzo Moscuzza (1827–1896) was an Italian composer. Born in Syracuse, Sicily, he was the son of composer Luigi Moscuzza, and his initial musical training was from his father. He later studied at the Naples Conservatory with Saverio Me ...

(1850), ''Alessandro Stradella'' by Giuseppe Sinico (1864) and ''Ti vedo, ti sento, mi perdo'' by

Salvatore Sciarrino Salvatore Sciarrino (born 4 April 1947) is an Italian composer of contemporary classical music. Described as "the best-known and most performed Italian composer" of the present day, his works include ''Quaderno di strada'' (2003) and ''La porta d ...

(

Teatro alla Scala La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...

, 2017). American novelist

F. Marion Crawford Francis Marion Crawford (August 2, 1854 – April 9, 1909) was an American writer noted for his many novels, especially those set in Italy, and for his classic weird and fantastical stories. Early life Crawford was born in Bagni di Lucca, in th ...

also produced a highly romanticized novel of Stradella's affair and flight from Venice, titled ''Stradella'' ( Macmillan 1909).

Recordings

*Stradella: ''Il barcheggio'' – Valentina Valente; Marco Lazzara; Giovanni Dagnino; Alessandro Stradella Consort; Estevan Velardi (conductor) Label: Bongiovanni GB 2102 *Stradella: ''Moro per amore'' – Marco Beasley; Marco Lazzara;

Roberta Invernizzi Roberta Invernizzi (born 1966, in Milan) is an Italian soprano. She originally studied piano and double bass before turning to singing. She specialises in early music from the baroque and classical period of music. She has sung in many operas ...

; Riccardo Ristori; Silvia Piccollo; Alessandro Stradella Consort; Estevan Velardi (conductor). Label: Bongiovanni GB 2153 *Stradella: ''Esule dalle sfere'' – Roberta Invernizzi; Marco Lazzara; Riccardo Ristori; Mario Nuvoli; Alessandro Stradella Consort; Estevan Velardi (conductor). Label: Bongiovanni GB 2165 *Cantatas Amanti, olà, olà!; Chi resiste al Dio bendato

Estevan Velardi Estevan is the eighth-largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. It is approximately north of the Canada–United States border. The Souris River runs by the city. This city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Estevan No. 5. History The ...

, Alessandro Stradella Consort *Stradella: Motets

Sandrine Piau Sandrine Piau (born 5 June 1965) is a French soprano. She is particularly renowned in Baroque music although also excels in Romantic and modernist art songs. She has the versatility to perform works from Vivaldi, Handel, Mozart to Schumann, Debus ...

Gérard Lesne Gérard Lesne (; born 15 July 1956) is a French countertenor. He is also the founder and artistic director of the baroque music ensemble, Il Seminario Musicale. Life and career Gérard Lesne was born in Montmorency, Val-d'Oise. He was originall ...

, Il Seminario musicale *Cantatas: Brandes,

Paul O'Dette Paul Raymond O'Dette (born February 2, 1954) is an American lutenist, conductor, and musicologist specializing in early music. Biography O'Dette, who was born in Pittsburgh, began playing the electric guitar in a rock band in Columbus, Ohio, w ...

, Springfels, Weiss.

Harmonia Mundi Harmonia Mundi is an independent record label which specializes in classical music, jazz, and world music (on the World Village label). It was founded in France in 1958 and is now a subsidiary of PIAS Entertainment Group. Its Latin name ''ha ...

*Cantata per il Santissimo Natale (Christmas Eve Cantata): ''Si apra al riso'' La Magnifica Comunità. Enrico Casazza. Brilliant *San Giovanni Battista (1) Erato, (2) Academia Montis Regalis, Alessandro de Marchi. Hyperion 2008 *Stradella: ''La Susanna'' (oratorio) - Martin Oro, Gemma Bertagnolli, Sergio Foresti, Mirko Guadagnini & Isabel Alvarez. Harmonices Mundi, Claudio Astronio. Brilliant 2011 *Stradella: ''Duets'' - Susanne Rydén, Emma Kirkby, Sergio Foresti, Christine Marsoner & Alessio Tosi. Harmonices Mundi, Claudio Astronio. Brilliant 2013 *Stradella: ''La forza delle stelle'' (serenata) - Nora Tabbush, Claudia Di Carlo, Raffele Pé, Maurizio Dalena & Mauro Borgioni, Ensemble Mare Nostrum, Andrea De Carlo. Arcana 2013 *Stradella: ''San Giovanni Crisostomo'' (oratorio) - Arianna Vendittelli, Matteo Bellotto, Filippo Mineccia, Luca Cervoni & Nora Tabbush Ensemble Mare Nostrum, Andrea De Carlo. Arcana 2014 *Stradella: ''Santa Editta'' (oratorio) - Veronica Cangemi, Francesca Aspromonte, Claudia Di Carlo, Gabriella Martellacci, Fernando Guimarães & Sergio Foresti. Ensemble Mare Nostrum, Andrea De Carlo. Arcana 2015 *Stradella: ''Santa Pelagia'' (oratorio) - Roberta Mameli, Raffaele Pe, Luca Cervoni & Sergio Foresti. Ensemble Mare Nostrum, Andrea De Carlo. Arcana 2016 *Stradella: ''La Doriclea'' (opera) - Emőke Baráth, Giuseppina Bridelli, Xavier Sabata, Luca Cervoni, Gabriella Martellacci & Riccardo Novaro. Il Pomo d'Oro, Andrea De Carlo. Arcana 2017 *Stradella: ''Il Trespolo Tutore'' (opera) - Roberta Mameli, Riccardo Novaro, Silvia Frigato, Rafał Tomkiewicz, Luca Cervoni & Paola Valentina Molinari. Ensemble Mare Nostrum, Andrea De Carlo. Arcana 2019

References

External links

Free PDFs of Stradella works in Biblioteca Estense
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Stradella, Alessandro 1643 births 1682 deaths 17th-century Italian composers Italian Baroque composers Italian male classical composers Italian opera composers Male opera composers Male murder victims Musicians from Rome Italian murder victims Unsolved murders in Italy 17th-century male musicians