Carissimi, Progenitor of the Oratorio by Joseph T
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Carissimi, Progenitor Of The Oratorio By Joseph T. Rawlins Music Department This article will focus on Carissimi's Rinuccini wrote the first music drama, University of West Florida contribution to the development of the Dafne. Pensacola, Florida oratorio, and will reference works and Through the efforts and activities of genres which paved the way for the the members of the Camerata, there Introduction establishment of the oratorio as we emerged a new concept of music drama. know it today. The most influential artists in the The oratorio was a sacred, but non Camerata were Peri, Rinuccini, Galilei, liturgical dramatic composition in which a Forerunners to the Oratorio Caccini, Cavalieri, and Bardi (the Count biblical subject was presented in the form of at whose home the group convened). recitative, arioso, aria, ensemble, and chorus, The term "oratorio" was recognized Significant works by these musicians usually with the aid of a narrator or TESTO ••• In the presentation of the action and the as a musical genre about the year 1660. and poets were the already-mentioned general dramatic spirit akin to the opera, the The name oratorio was derived from the Dafne, and the subsequent works oratorio appealed to the imagination of the oratories, or prayer chapels, where Euridice by Peri and Rinuccini, and audience and dispensed in principle, though narrative-dramatic works were perform Euridice by Caccini. Even though these not always in practice, with the stage.1 ed. The earliest known documented works were secular, they had a profound evidence of the use of the term oratorio effect upon the evolution of sacred Some historians suggest that in to designate a musical composition is music drama. What composers learned February, 1600, at the Oratorio della found in a letter in 1640 by Pietro Della from them was that elements of the Vallicella in Rome, a significant new Valle (1586-1652) to a Florentine music drama could be transplanted to dramatic musical form was born-the theorist Giovanni B. Doni.' sacred music and that the drama could oratorio. Although it would not be until Before the oratorio became an readily relate to a sacred subject. Com the middle of the seventeenth century established entity there were many at posers came to recognize that, though that this term actually would be applied tempts at dramatic music. The tendency the nature of the text would be different, to a musical form, the work that made to dramatize religious themes can be the same musical technique could be us its debut at that time, Emilio de' traced back to 13th and 14th century ed in both opera and oratorio. Cavalieri's Rappresentatione di Anima devotional songs called laude: religious Some modern historians suggest that et di Corpo, fit perfectly the definition songs often sung in dialogue form. 5 Cavalieri's Rappresentatione di Anima above.2 While Cavalieri's work is often Somewhat later in the 15th century, the et di Corpo was indeed the first cited as the first oratorio, the title of Italian intermezzi and intermedii oratorio.6 However, since this composi "father of the oratorio is usually given (musical interludes inserted between tion was staged, complete with to Giacomo Carissimi, who was not born acts of a play or drama) stimulated costumes and dancing, this author views until about 1605. thought to the dramatic possibilities. that Cavalieri's work as more represen Carissimi's claim to the title, "father Additional interest followed in the late tative of what we now think of as of the oratorio," does not stem from his 1590's, after Orazio Vecchi compos stylized opera, not oratorio. That it having invented the form, but it is ed L 'Amfipamaso (a setting of some fif stimulated thinking, even that of justified rather in that it was he who teen related madrigals), and Peri and Carissimi, cannot be supported or "established it artistically."3 It was Carissimi who elevated the chorus from the secondary role assigned it by other contemporary music drama writers to EASTERNNEW MEXICO UNWERSlTY the more prominent forceful role we recognize today. It was Carissimi who gave it the character by which we now SCHOOL OF MUSIC perceive the concept of ora torio-dramatic choral works. Ca rissimi's contemporaries generally GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS IN utilized the chorus in the traditional Greek manner-that of moralizing and Choral Music Elementary Music commenting upon the action of the soloists. Carissimi broke this tradition Maximum Stipend $4500 and promoted the chorus to a functional, ..... ... ......... ..... dramatic component of the overall ac tion. Church Music Workshop Choral Literature Workshop Certainly, Carissimi's claim to the ti June 8·10, 1981 June 11-13, 1981 tle, "father of the oratorio," could be supported, alone, by the sheer volume of John Yarrington, Clinician Karle Erickson, Clinician his personal output. The fact that his PRE-REGISTRATION DEADLINE: May 20,1981 pupils became some of the most impor Creative Music, Drama, & Movement in the Elementary Classroom tant oratorio writers of his period and July 20-24, 1981 Elizabeth Nichols, Clinician that their works both reflected his in PRE-REGISTRATION DEADLINE: July 6, 1981 fluence and influenced future genera tions justifies Carissimi as "progenitor For information write: Paul K. Fonno, ENMU, Portales, NM 88130 of the oratorio." APRIL 1981 Page 15 refuted through research. Perhaps had most famous as a composer of Latin thinking in many areas. The time was the composer avoided the use of scenery oratorios, this discussion will focus on right for Carissimi to be born to the and costumes and had he kept the that genre. (For observations on poetic world of music. dancers "in the wings," without argu and stylistic characteristics of the ment, this work truly would have been oratorio in the vernacular, oratorio Carissimi and the Oratorio the first sacred oratorio, as we think of volgare, refer to Smither's A History of the form today. However, it did have the Oratorio.)14 Carissimi was born in the town of successors, such as Agostino Agazzari's The center of the Latin oratorio was in Marino, near Rome. He was baptized on San Eumelio (1606),7 and Stefano Rome, at S. Marcello, where Carissimi April 18, 1605 (although Giuseppe Landi's I Sant' Alessio (1632).8 was employed after the year 1649. An Pitoni gave his birth-year as 1604.)19 Apel asserted that some of "the dre Maugars, a contemporary French Since it was most unusual in Roman earliest oratorios were usually perform violist of Carissimi's time, observed that Catholic families to postpone christen ed with scenery and costumes, the chief Marco Marazzolo (c. 1602-1662) was a ing for so long and since the author of distinguishing characteristic from opera highly regarded composer of eleven ex the Grove's article on Carissimi rules being a more contemplative, less tant oratorios of both the Latin and out Pitoni's date, there is no cor dramatic libretto."9 He further noted Italian genres,15 Marazzolo's employ roborative evidence to substantiate his that another characteristic is the fre ment at S. Marcello preceded claim.20 Carissimi became a singer at the quent use of a testo. 10 Bukofzer observ Carissimi's. Claude Palisca surmised cathedral of Tivoli at the age of seven ed: "According to Spagna, the outstan that when Marazzolo's music is better teen or eighteen, and became organist ding oratorio poet of the period, the known he may well be recognized as the there from 1624-1627. From 1628 to presence of the testa formed the most important composer of oratorios 1629 he was maestro di cappella at the distinguishing characteristic between before Carissimi.16 Other active oratorio church of San Rufino at Assisi. By 1629 opera and oratorio. "11 The terms testa composers of this time were Domenico he began a long tenure at the German and historicus are sometimes used inter Mazzocchi (1592-1665) and his brother College in Rome and became maestro di changeably to indicate the narrator, who Virgilio (1597-1646). cappella at Sant' Apollinare, a position verbally relates the action and in A secondary influence upon Oratorio he held until his death in 1674.21 troduces characters in the oratorio. latina development was the type of Scholars agree that Carissimi's works Curiously, Monteverdi in 1624 used the Italian dialogue performed in Rome at are the first extant oratorios proper and, testa in his Combattimento di Tancredi e the Oratorio de S. Maris in Vallicella and though he himself did not invent the Clorinda, a dramatic work contained in Oratorio de San Girolamo dell Carita, as form, he was primarily responsible for his eighth book of madrigals. (Frederick illustrated by those in G. F. Anerio's establishing it artistically. Palisca men Dorian called this work a ballet,12 and Teatro armonico spirituale (Rome, tioned that Carissimi's extant oratorios Manfred Bukofzer asserted that with 1619).17 Pasquetti and Alaleona both number sixteen,-fifteen Latin and one this work Monteverdi established the agree on this influence; their research Italian.22 Bukofzer stated: "The sixteen secular oratorio.13) Although it was in was almost exclusively confined to extant oratorios of Carissimi all belong cluded in a book of madrigals, this work Rome, specifically citing the principal to the Latin type, except Daniele, thus has been staged and presented as a activity at the Oratorio del Crocifisso, far unpublished, and not identical with music drama. where Carissimi later became active. 18 the oratorio volgare of the same title There eventually evolved two types of . Carissimi certainly was affected by that is sometimes hypothetically ascrib oratorio: the Italian oratorio volgare, what was occurring during his youth.