A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Rore, Cipriano di

by James Robert Sterndale-Bennett

RORE, Cipriano di, composer of the Venetian school, born at Mechlin in 1516. He studied under Willaert,^[1] chapel-master of St. Mark's, Venice, and was probably in early life a singer in that cathedral. In 1542 he brought out his first book of madrigals (à 4), a work long held in favour,^[2] and for the next 7 or 8 years published continually.^[3] About 1550^[4] he appears to have left Venice for the court of Hercules II. Duke of Ferrara, and for some years we hear nothing of him.^[5] In 1559 he returned to Venice to assist Willaert in his duties at St. Mark's, and on the death of that master, was appointed his successor, Oct. 18, 1563. He resigned this position almost immediately [App. p.775 "after about eighteen months"], and went to the court of Parma, where in a few months he died, at the age of 49. He was buried in the cathedral of that city, and the following epitaph gives an authentic sketch of his life.

Cypriano Roro, Flandro
Artis Musicæ
Viro omnium peritissimo,
Cujus nomen famaque
Nec vetustate obrui
Nec oblivione deleri poterit,
Hercules Ferrariens. Ducis II.
Deinde Venetorum,
Postremo
Octavi Farnesi Parmæ et Placentiæ
Ducis II Chori Præfecto.
Ludovicus frater, fil. et hæredes
Moestissimi posuerunt.
Obiit anno mdlxv. ætatis xlix.

The position to which Rore attained at St. Mark's, and the rank as a musician which contemporary writers assigned him, point to his having been something besides a madrigal composer. Yet of his church compositions either in print or in MS. few have survived.^[6] We only know that they were held in high esteem in the court chapel at Munich, and were constantly performed there under Lassus' direction.^[7] Duke Albert of Bavaria caused a superb copy of Rore's motets to be made for his library, where it remains to this day, with a portrait of the composer on the last page, by the court painter Mielich.

[ J. R. S.-B. ]

1. See title-page 'Fantesie e Recerchari etc. composti da lo Eccell. A. Vuigliart e Cipriano suo Discepolo etc. Venetiis 1549' (Brit. Mus. A. 287).
2. The Fétis library at Brussels contains imperfect copies of three editions 1552, 69 and 82. The edition in the British Museum is 1575.
3. The following list of books of motets and madrigals is taken from Fétis' Biographie, Eitner's Bibliographie, and the catalogues of the British Museum and Fétis libraries. Some contain work by other composers, but in all cases they bear Cipriano's name, and he is the chief contributor. The date given is that of the supposed 1st edition.

   Motets. Bk. I, à 5, Venice 1544 (Brit. Mus.); Bk. II. à 4 and 5, Venice 1547 (Fétis Biogr.); Bk. III, à 6, Venice 1559 (Eitner).

   Madrigals. Bk. I. à 4. Venice 1542 (Fétis Biogr.); Bk. II. a 5, Venice 1544 (Brit. Mus. The words on title-page. 'novamente posti in luce,' point to this being the 1st edition, though Fétis gives the date 1543. Eitner knows of no edition earlier than 1551); Bk. III, à 5. Venice 1544 (Fétis Bibl. The 1562 edition in Brit. Mus.); Bks. IV and V (Venice 1568, according to Eitner and Fétis, but title-pages prove these not to be 1st editions. The fifth book contains an ode to the Duke of Parma, and from the events of the composer's life, we may assume this volume to be one of his latest publications).

   Chromatic madrigals. Bk. I. à 5, 1544 (Brit. Mus. The word 'ristampato' on title-page shows that even this is not 1st edition, though Fétis knows of none earlier than 1560. He quotes 5 books of these madrigals, Venice 1560–68). The first book was reprinted as late as 1592 (Fétis library). Burney has inserted one number in his History.

4. In this year a reprint of his 1st book of madrigals was brought out at Ferrara.
5. Except the publication of 2 Passions (Paris 1557) with the following curious titles: 'Passio D. N. J. Christi in qua solus Johannes canens introducitur cum quatuor vocibus' and 'Passio … in qua introducuntur Jesus et Judæi canentes, cum duabus et sex vocibus.'
6. Fétis mentions a book of Cipriano's masses, à 4, 5, 6 (Venice 1566) on the authority of Draudius' 'Bibliotheca Classica.' This is probably 'Liber Missarum' à 4, 5, 6 (Venice 1566) to which Cipriano only contributes the 1st mass 'Doulce memoyre.'
7. Discorsi delli triomphi etc. nelle nozze dell' illustr. duca Gugl. etc. da Massimo Trojano (Monaco, Berg, 1568).