A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Cortellini, Camillo

by Edward H. Pember

CORTELLINI, Camillo, a composer of church music, who lived at the commencement of the 17th century, and was in the service of the municipality of Bologna. From his proficiency on the violin he went by the name of Il Violino. Vincenti of Venice published several volumes of his works, consisting of Psalms, Litanies, Masses, and other sacred pieces. The preface to one of these volumes, intituled 'Messe concertate a otto voci,' is interesting because it gives a hint of the manner in which in those early times the instrumental and vocal parts were combined in church music. The passage alluded to is as follows: 'La Messa In Domino confido ha la Gloria concertata; e dove saranno le lettere grandi, il cantore cantera solo; e dove saranno le linee, i tromboni e altri simili stromenti soneranno soli.'

[ E. H. P. ]