Agostino Steffani

Agostino Steffani (* July 25, 1654 in Castelfranco Veneto, Veneto, † February 12, 1728 in Frankfurt am Main ) was an Italian composer, diplomat and Catholic titular bishop.

Life

Munich

Steffani spent his childhood with his relatives in Padua, where he attended high school. There he was supported by the Bavarian Elector Ferdinand Maria and accompanied the electoral couple in 1667 to Munich. He lived there for 21 years. In Munich he received organ lessons by Johann Caspar von Kerll.

1672 Steffani traveled for further musical training at Ercole Bernabei for two years after Rome. In addition, he also began a study of Catholic theology. In 1674 he published his first musical work, the Psalmodia vespertina. There were other vocal works; Steffani went on study trips to France and northern Italy, where he may have had to meet diplomatic missions. In Paris, he appeared in front of Louis XIV at the harpsichord.

The inauguration of the Bavarian elector Max Emanuel in 1680 marked a turning point in life Steffani, who was ordained in the same year after completing his theological studies as a priest.

1681 he was appointed director of chamber music. For operas, ballets, carnival jokes, tournaments Steffani wrote the music at the Munich court. Steffani filled secret diplomatic missions, which were often in connection with the marriage of his projects electoral Lord. 1681 was Steffani's first opera Marco Aurelio, in which the influence of Lully can be seen listed. The libretto was written by his brother Ventura Terzago. Thus began a successful collaboration of these brothers that lasted for years. 1686 Steffani was appointed Kapellmeister in Munich.

In May 1688 Steffani was fired by the Elector Max Emanuel honorably, he was succeeded as court conductor Giuseppe Antonio Bernabei Munich.

Hanover and Dusseldorf

After a short stay in Italy he was late June opera conductor at the court of Duke Ernst August of Hanover. There he composed for the upcoming inauguration of the new theater in the linen Castle (1689 ) Henrico Leone and brought to 1696 almost every year new operas out. 1696 Steffani moved to Brussels, where he came in contact with the operas of Lully. He operated mainly as a shareholder. 1702 Steffani fancied a defeat in its diplomatic activities and refocused emphasis on musical creation.

In the same year he was called by the Elector Johann Wilhelm to Dusseldorf, where he was appointed spiritual Council president and soon became an advisor gave recognition. A year later he became Privy Council and the Electoral Palatinate government president and started political negotiations in several cities. 1703 and 1704, he served as rector and curator at the University of Heidelberg. In September 1706 he was appointed titular bishop of Pegae / Spiga in partibus infidelium.

Later years

1708 he was sent to Rome to mediate in the dispute between the Emperor and the Pope. The following year, he became the Vicar Apostolic of the Vicariate neuumschriebenen for Upper and Lower Saxony. The project recatholicization some German princely houses he traveled back to Germany. After the death of some of his noble benefactor Steffani increasingly came into financial difficulties. Agostino Steffani died in 1728 at the effects of a stroke in Frankfurt when he wanted to sell some brought from Italy art objects. He was buried in Frankfurt Cathedral; there reminds a marble epitaph on him, the Catholics of Hanover donated in gratitude, as he had for the edification of their time the only church, the Basilica of St. Clement, taken care of.

Musical work

Steffani integrated elements of French, but also German music in the Italian art of music. In addition to operas Steffani published mainly chamber duets, which enjoyed wide popularity until the 18th century. Bear witness to both the large number of copies of his works as well as honorable mention by musicians and poets.

2012 Cecilia Bartoli published a CD with works Steffani and simultaneously Donna Leon will be modeled after Steffani's life detective story.

Works (selection)

  • Marco Aurelio, libretto by Ventura Terzago, premiered in Munich 1681st
  • Salome, libretto by Ventura Terzago, premiered in Munich 1681st
  • Audacia e Rispetto, premiered in Munich 1685.
  • Servio Tullio, libretto by Ventura Terzago, premiered in Munich 1686th
  • Erote e Ante Red, libretto by Ventura Terzago, premiered in Munich 1686th
  • Ascanio, libretto by Ventura Terzago, premiered in Munich 1686th
  • Alarico il Baltha, cioè l' Audace, re de ' Gothi, dramma per musica in three acts, libretto by Luigi Orlandi, premiered in Munich on 18 January 1687th
  • Niobe, Regina di Tebe, dramma per musica in three acts, libretto by Luigi Orlandi, premiered in Munich 1688.
  • Tassilone, Tragedia per Musica, created in 1709, edited by Gerhard Croll in the series Monuments Rhine music.
  • Enrico Leone, Dramma in three acts, premiered on January 30, 1689 at the opening of the Court Theatre Hannover.
  • Stabat Mater for 6 singers and instrumentalists 7.
  • " Spezza amor, l' arco e li strali ", cantata for soprano, oboe, bassoon and basso continuo.
Ferdinand Maria, Elector of Bavaria Leineschloss Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine Apostolic vicariate Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Germany#Vicars Apostolic for Upper and Lower Saxony St Clemens Basilica Salome (disambiguation) Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie Michael F. Feldkamp Integrated Authority File
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