Scipione Stella (1558 or 1559 – May 20, 1622) was a Neapolitan composer. He is to be distinguished from another member of the circle of

Carlo Gesualdo Carlo Gesualdo da Venosa ( – 8 September 1613) was Prince of Venosa and Count of Conza. As a composer he is known for writing madrigals and pieces of sacred music that use a chromatic language not heard again until the late 19th century ...

Scipione Dentice Scipione Dentice (29 January 1560 – 21 April 1633) was a Neapolitan keyboard composer. He is to be distinguished from his colleague and exact contemporary Scipione Stella, a member of Carlo Gesualdo's circle. He is also to be distinguished f ...

.John Walter Hill Roman monody, cantata, and opera from the circles around Cardinal Montalto, Volume 1 1997 p40,44

Life and career

Born in Naples, Stella studied with

Giovanni Domenico da Nola Giovanni Domenico da Nola (also Nolla) (c. 1510–1520May 1592) was an Italian composer and poet of the Renaissance. He was born in the town of Nola, Italy. He was a founding member of the ''Accademia dei Sereni'' in 1546–1547, where he knew Lu ...

who was the

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 ...

at the

Santissima Annunziata Maggiore, Naples The Santissima Annunziata Maggiore is a basilica church located in the quartieri Pendino near Forcella, in the historic center of Naples, Italy. History In the ancient Roman era, the city baths and gymnasium of ''Neapolis'' were located in this ...

. Da Nola recommended Stella for the post of organist at that church in 1579; a post he eventually held from 1583 through 1593. A May 1593 letter written by Spanish composer

Sebastián Raval Sebastián Raval (c. 15501604) was a Spanish composer of vocal and instrumental music. Born in Cartagena, Spain, Cartagena, he served as a soldier of the Spanish army, Army of Flanders in Flanders and Sicily. He joined the order of St. John of Jer ...

mentions that Stella had performed Raval’s madrigals with

and

Luca Marenzio Luca Marenzio (also Marentio; October 18, 1553 or 1554 – August 22, 1599) was an Italian composer and singer of the late Renaissance. He was one of the most renowned composers of madrigals, and wrote some of the most famous examples of the fo ...

at the palace of

Cardinal Montalto Pope Sixtus V ( it, Sisto V; 13 December 1521 – 27 August 1590), born Felice Piergentile, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 April 1585 to his death in August 1590. As a youth, he joined the Franciscan order ...

in Naples in May 1953. By 1594, and possibly earlier, Stella had entered the service of

and accompanied him to Ferrara for his wedding to

Eleonora d'Este (1561–1637) Eleonora d'Este (1561–1637) was a Ferrarese noblewoman. Life She was the daughter of Alfonso d'Este (an illegitimate son of Alfonso I d'Este, Duke of Ferrara) and his first wife Giulia della Rovere (daughter of Francesco Maria I della Rovere). ...

on 21 February 1594. After leaving Gesuldo's service, Stella became a

monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...

and entered the

Theatine The Theatines officially named the Congregation of Clerics Regular ( la, Ordo Clericorum Regularium), abreviated CR, is a Catholic order of clerics regular of Pontifical Right for men founded by Archbishop Gian Pietro Carafa in Sept. 14, 1524. I ...

monastery at the

San Paolo Maggiore San Paolo Maggiore is a basilica church in Naples, southern Italy, and the burial place of Gaetano Thiene, known as Saint Cajetan, founder of the Order of Clerics Regular (or Theatines). It is located on Piazza Gaetano, about 1-2 blocks north of ...

in Naples on 30 January 1598. At this time he assumed the name Padre Pietro Paolo. Stella died in Naples on May 20, 1622.

Works

Sacred

*''Motectorum liber primus'' (Ferrara, ?1595) *''Hymnorum ecclesiasticorum liber primus'', hymns for 5 voices (Naples, 1610) *''Pange Lingua gloriosa'' in the library at the Conservatorio di Musica San Pietro a Majella *''O quam suavis'' in the library at the Conservatorio di Musica San Pietro a Majella *''Masses, Vespers'': lost, cited by C. Tutini

Secular

*''Primo libro de madrigali'' (Naples, 1609), lost; was part of the private collection of Werner Wolffheim (1877—1930) *Extent books of madrigals, 1587, 1615 *Three further lost books of madrigals according to musicologist

Erich Hermann Müller von Asow The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Norse ''* ain ...

Instrumental

*Variation'' on a piece by A. Ferrabosco (1609) *4 canzonas in the library at the Conservatorio di Musica San Pietro a Majella *3 keyboard works in the

British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the British ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stella, Scipione 16th-century Italian composers 17th-century Italian composers Italian male composers 1550s births 1622 deaths Year of birth uncertain 17th-century male musicians