A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Benevoli, Orazio

by Adela Harriet Sophia Wodehouse

BENEVOLI, Orazio, a celebrated contrapuntist, born at Rome in 1602, was reputed to be a natural son of Duke Albert of Lorraine. He studied under Vincenzo Ugolini^[1], and commenced his professional career as Maestro di Cappella in the Church of S. Luigi de' Francesi. After a brief tenure of this post he was called into the service of the Austrian Court, and during his residence at Vienna, in the years 1643–45, he published several collections of motets and offertories, but his best works were produced after his return to Rome. Here he resumed his former office in S. Luigi de' Francesi, but held it only for a few weeks. On Feb. 23, 1646, he was transferred to S. Maria Maggiore, and on Nov. 7 of the same year he succeeded Mazzocchi as maestro di cappella at the Vatican. This appointment he retained, in high repute both as a teacher and a composer, until his death on June 17, 1672. He was buried in the Church del Santo Spirito in Sassia. One of his best pupils was Bernabei.

Benevoli's chief merit as a composer was the skill with which he handled a large assemblage of voices in separate parts. Masses, psalms, motets and anthems of his for 12, 16, 24, and 48 voices, in 4, 5, 6, 8, and even 12 distinct choirs, are quoted by Baini, Santini, Burney, Fétis and others. Burney (in his History of Music, ii. 474) specially praises a mass a sei cori which was in his own possession; and Fétis cites a mass for 48 voices in 12 choirs^[2] as a feat never excelled, and only twice equalled, viz. by J. B. Giansetti and G. Ballabene. Specimens of Benevoli's works will also be found in the contrapuntal treatises of Padre Martini, Padre Paolucci, and Fétis, who are of one mind in regarding him as an admirable model to study in writing for a large number of voices. But, excepting this particular kind of skill and ingenuity, Benevoli's music has no real artistic value. His fugues are rarely developed, for after a few bars thy break off, and though his harmony obviously imitates Palestrina's, it falls far short of the same level of excellence in respect of simplicity and grandeur. Many of Benevoli's works, both in print and in manuscript, are extant, and are preserved in the Basilica of the Vatican, in the Casa Corsini alla Lungara, in Sir Frederick Ouseley's library, and in the British Museum. Some will be found also in the collections published by Teschner, Rochlitz, and Prince de la Moskowa.

[ A. H. W. ]

1. Martini, Burney, Bertini, Orloff, and others, speak of Benevoli as the pupil of Bernadino Nanini; but Liberati, doubtless writing with accurate knowledge, says in his Lettera ad Ottav. Penapegi, pp. 58, 59, 'the other renowned pupil and favourite of B. Nanini was Vincenzo Ugolini, a great master in the art of teaching … as many of his pupils have shown, especially Benevoli … who excelled his master and all others living in writing for four or even six choirs in four parts each …'
2. This Mass was sung at Rome, in S. Maria sopra Minerva, by 150 professors, on August 4, 1650; and the expense of the performance was borne by a notary, Dominique Fonthia by name.