HMR Project: History of Music & Modern Recording

Ercole Pasquini & the Aleotti Sisters

Born circa 1560 in Ferrara, Italy, Ercole Pasquini wasn't the compositional powerhouse that some of his contemporaries were, but he played a part in the development of baroque, especially in the formation of Girolamo Frescobaldi a generation younger than he. Pasquini is first found in service to Giovanni Battista Aleotti, architect to the Duke of Ferrara, teaching his daughters music in the latter seventies. As dates vary between sources, data herein is based on a birthdate of circa 1570 for Raffaella Aleotti and circa 1574 for Vittoria Aleotti [refs below], making Pasquini perhaps 18 years old upon discovering four-year old Vittoria to be especially talented while teaching her older sister, Raffaella. Pasquini himself is thought to have been mentored by teacher alike to the Aleotti girls, Alessandro Milleville. Pasquini may have remained in service to Aleotti throughout the eighties.

In 1592 Pasquini acquired employment at the Benedictine church of Santa Maria in Verona. In 1593 Aleotti published two books of music by his daughters, a volume of motets by Rafaella and a book of madrigals by Vittoria. Rafaella's work, thought to be the earliest known compositions by a nun to see print, included eighteen motets, two by Pasquini along with a dedication to him and Milleville. Those were No.6 'Iubilate Deo omnis terra' and No.18 for 10 voices, 'Quem vidistis pastores?'. That same year (1593) Pasquini published his poetic favola (fable) in five acts, 'I fidi amanti' ('The Faithful Lovers'), toward the marriage the next year of Don Carlo Gesualdo and his patroness, Eleonora d'Este. Though Pasquini isn't included in it, more influential to music in 1593 was Girolamo Diruta's 'Il Transilvano' addressing counterpoint via compositions by himself and others like Andrea Gabrieli and Luzzasco Luzzaschi.

'Miserere mei, Deus' Motet a 5 by Raphaella Aleotti Text: Psalm 57:1

No.9 of 'Sacrae cantiones' Pub 1593

Yale Schola Cantorum / David Hill

'Quem vidistis pastores?' Motet a 10 by Ercole Pasquini

No.18 of 'Sacrae cantiones' Pub 1593

Cappella Artemisia / Candace Smith

'Io v'amo vita mia' Madrigal a 4 w basso continuo by Vittoria Aleotti

From 'Ghirlanda de Madrigali a 4 voci' Pub 1593

Cantando à Prova 2011

Some time before 1597 Pasquini succeeded Luzzaschi as organist of the Accademia della Morte in Ferrara, after which he accepted an appointment as organist at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. He simultaneously held a similar position at Santo Spirito in Sassia in 1604. Pasquini is known to have been residing at a hospital for the mentally abnormal in 1605. In 1606 he was fired from his bench at St. Peter's for unclear cause, though likely due to a mental condition described in no greater detail then "crazy" in so many words. He was apparently rehired until an incident in May of 1608, leaving his organ to approach and speak to the Pope, which got him dismissed for good. He was replaced by Alessandro Costantini from June through October, succeeded by Frescobaldi after that. Biological record of Pasquini disappears henceforth, though he may have lived to as late as 1619. His last composition, 'Jesu decus angelicum', for four voices and organ was published in Fabio Constatini's 'Scelta di Motetti' in 1618 perhaps posthumously.

Pasquini left behind some thirty pieces for keyboard and several for voice, though no great volume of works. Ten of his toccatas, canzonas and Romanesche were copied posthumously circa 1630-40 into 'Il Libro di Fra Gioseffo da Ravenna' (I-RAc Ms 545) probably by Benedictine Giuseppe Rasino. Though not known when composed, they are of interest in the development of baroque composition alongside titles by such as Andrea Gabrieli and Frescobaldi. The most complete edition of Pasquini is Richard Shindle's 1966 'Collected Keyboard Works' containing 30 pieces. Paul Kenyon's 2015 'Toccate, Canzoni, Ricercari' ('Opere complete I': Monumenti musicali italiani Vol 30') contains 26 pieces. Not known when titles below were composed, they are from the posthumous Ms 545 by Rasino, later reproduced in Shindle's 'Collected Keyboard Works'.