A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Clari, Giovanni
CLARI, Giovanni Carlo Maria, was born at Pisa in 1669 where he became Maestro di Cappella. He studied music at Bologna, under the well-known Colonna, of whom he has always been considered to have been one of the best pupils. For the theatre of the last-named town he wrote an opera intituled 'II Savio delirante,' which had considerable success. But his renown chiefly comes from a collection of vocal duets and trios written with a basso continue, which he published in 1720. A later edition of these is extant, published by Carli of Paris in 1823, and arranged with a modern accompaniment for the piano by a Polish composer named Mirecki. In these his novel treatment of fugue, and his approach towards the modulation of later times, help to mark an epoch in composition, and stamp him as a progressive and profound musician.
There is a Stabat Mater by Clari in C minor in the Royal Library at Copenhagen; and Landsberg of Rome had the following works of his: a Mass for 5 voices, strings and organ; a Credo for 4 voices; Psalms for 4 voices in 2 dialogued choruses; a De Profundis for 4 voices and the organ; a Requiem for nine voices, strings and organ; a Mass di Cappella for 4 voices; some Psalms for Complins arranged for two choruses. Novello's 'Fitzwilliam music' contains no less than 23 compositions of Clari's from Masses and the Stabat Mater, which for science, dignity, and sweetness, fully bear out his reputation.
The exact date of his death is unknown, but it was probably about 1745.