Girolamo Bacchini

Girolamo Bacchini, also called as Fra Teodoro del Carmine and Girolamo Bachini, was an Italian castrato, composer, author of works of music and a Catholic priest. Its main effect of time was between the end of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century.

Life and career

Bacchini was a Karmelite, who was very active in church circles in Mantua from the late 1580s until the beginning of the 17th century. During the 1580s, he composed many masses for the ducal church of Santa Barbara at the Ducal Palace in Mantua, which was built by the then Duke of Mantua, Guglielmo Gonzaga. After Guglielmo's death in 1587 he continued to serve at the court of Mantua, was still active in the church circles in Mantua until the beginning of the 17th century.

1589 a book with several of Bacchinis was published fairs for five or six votes in Mantua. He was also the author of a treatise on music which is now lost. He stepped into the 1590s often for entertainment at the court of Vincenzo I Gonzaga. 1594, he traveled with the Duke to Regensburg, where he appeared before Philip of Bavaria, Bishop of Regensburg. In 1595 he accompanied the Duke on his first campaign against the Ottoman Empire in the south of the Pannonian Plain. On this trip also took part in the composer Claudio Monteverdi and the poet Giambattista Marino.

It is speculated that Bacchini 1607 the role of Eurydice sang at the premiere of Monteverdi's L' Orfeo at the court Francesco Gonzaga. This is based on a letter of 1608 to Vincenzo I Gonzaga in which the talk is of " this little priest, who played the role of Euridice in its sovereign prince, Orfeo. '" The musicologist Tim Carter notes that in 1607 Bacchini was no longer in the service of the court in Mantua, so that while it is possible that he made ​​a guest appearance, but it is just as possible that someone has taken another unknown role.