A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Valentini, Pietro

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A Dictionary of Music and Musicians
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Valentini, Pietro by George Grove

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3926701A Dictionary of Music and Musicians — Valentini, PietroGeorge GroveGeorge Grove

VALENTINI, Pietro Francesco, a great contrapuntist, scholar of G. M. Nanini; died at Rome 1654. Various books of canons, madrigals, canzonets, etc., by him, were published before and after his death, of which a list is given by Fétis. His canons were his greatest achievement, and two of them are likely to be referred to for many years to come. The first, on a line from the Salve Regina, is given by Kircher (Musurgia, i. 402), and was selected by Marpurg, more than a century later (1763), as the theme of seven of his Critical Letters on music, occupying 50 quarto pages (ii. 89). He speaks of the subject of the canon with enthusiasm, as one of the most remarkable he had ever known for containing in itself all the possible modifications necessary for its almost infinite treatment—for the same qualities in fact which distinguish the subject of Bach's 'Art of Fugue' and the 'Et vitam venturi' of Cherubim's great 'Credo.'

The first subject is:—

${ \relative d' { \clef tenor \key f \major \time 2/2 \cadenzaOn d1 c2 bes g a4 a2 a4 c2 c bes bes a1 c d2 bes a a r1 \bar "|" } \addlyrics { Il -- los tu -- os mi -- se -- ri -- cor -- des o -- cu -- los ad nos con -- ver -- te. } }$

which gives direct rise to three others; viz.—

Second subject, the first in retrograde motion.

${ \clef tenor \key f \major \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \cadenzaOn a2 a bes d' c'1 a s_"etc." }$

Third subject, the first inverted.

${ \relative f' { \key f \major \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \cadenzaOn f1 g a2 c bes4 bes2 bes4_"etc." } }$

Fourth subject, the second in retrograde.

${ \relative b' { \key f \major \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \cadenzaOn bes2 bes a f g1 bes_"etc." } }$

Each of these fits to each or all of the others in plain counterpoint, and each may be treated in imitation in every interval above and below, and at all distances, and may be augmented or diminished, and this for 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 voices. Kircher computes that it may be sung more than 3000 different ways.

The second canon—'Nel nodo di Salomo (like a Solomon's knot) a 96 voci'—consists of the common chord of G,

${ << \new Staff \relative g' { \time 4/2 \set Staff.timeSignatureFraction = 2/2 << { g2 b d d } \\ { d, d g d } >> } \new Staff \relative b { \clef bass \set Staff.timeSignatureFraction = 2/2 << { b2 g g g' } \\ { g, g, d' b } >> } >> }$

and may be varied almost ad infinitum, with insufferable monotony it must be allowed. (See also Burney, Hist. iii. 522.)

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