A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Giovanelli, Ruggiero

by Franz Gehring

GIOVANELLI, Ruggiero, born 1560 at Velletri, near Rome. Nothing is known of his circumstances or early studies. In 1587 we find him maestro di capella to San Luigi de' Francesi on the Corso in Rome; from thence he passed to the Chiesa dell' Anima, belonging to the German College; and, March 12, 1594, was appointed Palestrina's successor at St. Peter's, entering on his duties three days later. On April 7, 1599, he was made a member of the Sistine choir. He was living in 1615, as in that year he published the second volume of his new edition of the 'Graduate,' undertaken at the request of Pope Paul V, and magnificently printed at the Medici press, but disfigured by many arbitrary alterations of the text. Proske has inserted a 'Dixit' of Giovanelli's, in his 'Musica Divina' (Tom. iii.) and speaks of his works as 'graceful, pure in style, and very pleasing in harmony, and able to bear comparison with those of the greatest masters.' Baini's 'Palestrina' also contains many allusions to Giovanelli. Amongst his works preserved in the Pontifical Chapel at Rome, Baini specially mentions a 'Miserere' for 4 and 8 voices, and a Mass, à 8, on Palestrina's madrigal 'Vestiva i colli'; but he does not seem to have known of a particularly fine Mass à 12, characterised by Proske as full of beauty and imagination. Giovanelli was a great composer of madrigals, even in that fertile age. He published 5 books of them, with 2 of Canzonette and Vilanelle, between the years 1586 and 92. Others are to be found in the collections of Scotto and Phalese (Eitner, 'Sammelwerke'). The date of his death is unknown.

[ F. G. ]