A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Ferrari, Benedetto

by Franz Gehring

FERRARI, Benedetto, called 'della Tiorba,' an Italian musician, and composer of words and music for the species of Italian dramas called 'dramme per musica,' was born most probably at Reggio in 1597; as according to a letter, now in the archives of Modena, written by him to the Duke of Modena in 1623, his reputation as a musician, and especially as a player on the theorbo, was by that time considerable. It was largely owing to him that the 'dramma musicale' took such deep root in Italy and Germany, and herein lies his chief interest for us. His opera 'Andromeda,' set to music by Manelli and brought out at the Teatro San Cassiano at Venice in 1637, was the first opera performed before a mixed audience. In 1639 followed his 'Adone,' set by Monteverde, and 'Armida,' of which he wrote both words and music. Its success induced Ferrari to devote himself more to composition than before. He remained in Venice till 1644, when he was invited to Vienna by the Emperor Ferdinand. A ballet by him was performed at the Diet of Ratisbon in 1653. In the same year he was appointed maestro di capella to Duke Alfonso of Modena, on whose death in 1662 he was dismissed, but reappointed in 1674, and died in possession of the post Oct. 22, 1681. His librettos were collected and printed at Milan and Piacenza, and passed through several editions; none of these collections however are complete. The library at Modena contains several of his MSS., including the ballet 'Dafne in alloro' (Vienna, 1651). We have not sufficient materials to form any opinion on the style of his music. He published at Venice in 1638 'Musiche varie a voce sola,' in which, according to Burney, the term 'Cantata' occurs for the first time, although the invention of this kind of piece was claimed by Barbara Strozzi twenty years later.

[ F. G. ]