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A Game by Carpani: a Composer = a Painter |
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The composers you will find in Carpani's 1812 Gallery are: A| 1) Haydn 2) Pergolesi 3) Salinas 4) Durante 5) Leo B| 6) Vinci 7) Hasse 8) Handel 9) Galuppi 10) Jommelli C| 11) Gassmann 12) de Majo 13) Porpora 14) Benda 15) Gluck D| 16) Piccinni 17) Traetta 18) Sacchini 19) Paisiello 20) Guglielmi E| 21) Anfossi 22) Sarti 23) Bertoni 24) Salieri 25) Mozart F| 26) Winter 27) Cimarosa 28) Zingarelli 29) Mayr 30) Weigl G| 31) Paer 32) Cherubini 33) Martin y Soler 34) Grétry A gallery of music composers and father Castel To celebrate the 500th Anniversary of the great Italian painter Raffaello (1520-2020), we present an interesting game by the famous Italian biographer of J. Haydn: Giuseppe Carpani. At a certain point in his book, inspired by the experiments in physics by father Louis Bertrand Castel, who was trying to show music notes as if visually appearing in the realm of colours, Carpani tries to create a link between the musical style of an 18th century composer and the pictorial style of a famous painter. Carpani writes: «Se non vi spiace questo gingillo di paragonare i grandi maestri di musica ai grandi pittori, eccovi una lista di paragoni, ch'io feci già per mio passatempo sui maestri del XVIII secolo. Ve la mando per la vostra musico-pittorica galleria... Io vi regalo una galleria di maestri». Haydn, Mozart, Italy and Salieri... You can notice that Carpani, despite being a fan of Haydn, is a bit Italiancentric in preparing his list of great composers of the 18th century. Moreover, Mozart is intentionally (... maliciously? Carpani was a strong supporter of Salieri) put between two famous adversaries of his: the Italian-Viennese Salieri and the Mannheim-Voglerian Winter. Nonetheless, one should say that the choice of the great, powerful and extra-rich Giulio Romano for Mozart, after all, is an interesting and really both Jupiterian and Apollinean choice (you may even find what may well be a possible Queen of the Night, a Clemenza di Tito and a Madonna with a curious resemblance to his wife Constanze), as is that of a much less flamboyant Annibale Carracci for Salieri, with his extra-sophisticated and a bit factitious minuteness of half and mild tones. Moreover, it's curious that Carpani had chosen Annibale Carracci for Salieri, a painter who was/is considered somehow inferior to Giulio Romano and Lodovico Carracci (i.e. Jommelli). Those, who did not make in the list... Furthermore, you will notice the absence of any representative of the family Bach (J.S., C.P.E., J.C., etc.), of Beck, Stamitz, P. Wranitzky, Danzi, Myslivecek, Dittersdorf, Bonno, Reicha, Vanhal, von Weber, Vivaldi, Vogler, Kraus, Sammartini, p.Martini, Beethoven, Rossini, Hummel and Pleyel (just for an example), while you find Weigl, the composer and conductor, pupil of Salieri. After all, it is true that Haydn was the baptismal godfather of Weigl, and that Weigl worked also with Mozart from 1786 on on a few occasions, and that he was a pupil of Albrechtsberger, like Beethoven, and that Beethoven held Weigl in esteem. Salinas as Mategna and his De Musica as music model on themes The identification of the composer Salinas as a master of the 18th century music may be uncertain, since the best known musician and music theoretician Salinas lived in the 16th century (1513-1590) and not in the 18th century. On the other hand, the identification of this Salinas with Mantegna may well be functional, in the intentions of Carpani: an old master who had also the role of setting the rules of art. Moreover, Salinas created the most famous anthology of Italian and Spanish popular musical themes, the De Musica. A few very well known themes re-used and re-worked by many composers after him through the centuries came from his book: la Follia, El Conde claros, Pavana milanese sive passamezzo, etc. Carpani's list: an important, valuable guide to 18th century music aesthetics This very interesting gallery of 18th century composers and famous painters created by Carpani in 1812 can be a valid and valuable insight on the perception and the models of aesthetics in the arts. It can certainly be a sort of visual guide to the aesthetics of style and interpretation of the music of the great masters of this period both for musicians and conductors and can even offer valid ideas to be developed for stage directors, theatre scenography and dress designers. It must not be underestimated the fact that, apart from Carpani, many music composers of that period, in their letters and works, actually used to write about music also in terms of Renaissance, Late-Renaissance and Early Baroque painting: so this composer is like Rubens or like Caravaggio, etc., usually considering Caravaggio one of the highest levels possible in Art ranking (here Gluck). See, for example, Reichardt, Schubart and Vogler on this. This kind of comparison game was certainly highly influenced by many very erudite writers who belonged to the European Genius Movement (then Sturm und Drang, then Romanticism), like Goethe himself, who cultivated the not concealed ambition to be recognized as the Metastasio of the German language and... of the German music! The very peculiar value of this list created by Carpani is really due to the not causal identifications developed by Carpani. You'll easily discover how there are real subtle good reasons to see in the works of certain painters certain aesthetical characteristics typical of certain music composers. Hence, Francesco Durante, the master and teacher of all music techniques and partimenti and the technical pillar of an entire generation of composers, is seen as the Leonardo da Vinci, the master and teorethician of all painting techniques and founding principles, etc... As a matter of fact, Jommelli (No. 10), Traetta (No. 17), Paisiello (No. 19), Piccinni (No. 16), Sacchini (No. 18), Guglielmi (No. 20) and Fenaroli were all pupils of Durante (No. 4) and Durante even foresaw the future greatness of Gluck (No. 15), when Gluck was still an emerging young composer... Or consider de Majo as Giorgione, both developing an art rich in symbolisms, or Traetta as Preti, both great masters of the chiaroscuro, one in music and the orther in painting. In a few cases, you may notice some similarities in the personal portraits of composers and of the painters... In the end, for all, a marvellous occasion of listening to the music of great composers of the 18th century, while rediscovering superb masterpieces of the history of painting. MozartCircle S. & L.M. Jennarelli The composers you will find are: A| 1) Haydn 2) Pergolesi 3) Salinas 4) Durante 5) Leo B| 6) Vinci 7) Hasse 8) Handel 9) Galuppi 10) Jommelli C| 11) Gassmann 12) de Majo 13) Porpora 14) Benda 15) Gluck D| 16) Piccinni 17) Traetta 18) Sacchini 19) Paisiello 20) Guglielmi E| 21) Anfossi 22) Sarti 23) Bertoni 24) Salieri 25) Mozart F| 26) Winter 27) Cimarosa 28) Zingarelli 29) Mayr 30) Weigl G| 31) Paer 32) Cherubini 33) Martin y Soler 34) Grétry _______________________________ 1. Haydn = Tintoretto: but Carpani says that the style of Haydn, according to the type of his composition, can be also more similar to Robusti/Tiziano (in this list No. 16) or Raffaello (here No. 2) or Michelangelo (here No. 8), or a combination of the 4 painters Tintoretto: his works at Gallery of Art Haydn: his works & bio at Imslp & Allmusic Discover the art of Haydn with Ian Page: Sturm und Drang Vol. 1    2. Pergolesi = Raffaello: 2020 is the 500th Anniversary of this great painter Raffaello: his works at Gallery of Art Pergolesi: his works & bio at Imslp & Allmusic  3. Salinas = Mantegna: Uncertain or intentional identification, see the Introduction for the importance of Salinas as music theoretician Mantegna: his works at Gallery of Art Salinas: -  4. Durante = Leonardo da Vinci: Francesco Durante, with Porpora, was one of the most important teachers ever of the Neapolitan School and among his pupils we find Jommelli (No. 10), Traetta (No. 17), Paisiello (No. 19), Piccinni (No. 16), Sacchini (No. 18), Guglielmi (No. 20) and Fenaroli. Durante's book on the Partimenti was important. Moreover he was, at the same time, a promoter of the art of Fux, as fundamental (a path followed also by Haydn) and one of the first composers to recognize, already in the 1755, the great qualities of Gluck as composer (see his comments on Gluck's La clemenza di Tito). Leonardo da Vinci: his works at Gallery of Art Durante: his works & bio at Imslp & Allmusic Durante, MozartCircle Discography Guide: Durante MozartCircle Moment (Twitter Log In Required)  5. Leo = Masaccio Masaccio: his works at Gallery of Art Leo: his works & bio at Imslp & Allmusic Leo, MozartCircle Discography Guide: Leo MozartCircle Moment (Twitter Log In Required)  6. Vinci = Fra' Angelico/Beato Angelico Fra' Angelico: his works at Gallery of Art Vinci: his works & bio at Imslp & Allmusic  7. Hasse = Rubens Rubens: his works at Gallery of Art Hasse: his works & bio at Imslp & Allmusic Hasse, Cantata: Perché leggiadra Irene: Quando la Bianca Aurora  8. Handel = Michelangelo Michelangelo: his works at Gallery of Art Handel: his works & bio at Imslp & Allmusic  9. Galuppi = Bassano Bassano: his works at Gallery of Art Galuppi: his works & bio at Imslp & Allmusic  10. Jommelli = Lodovico Carracci Lodovico Carracci: his works at Gallery of Art Jommelli: his works & bio at Imslp & Allmusic Discover the art of Jommelli with Ian Page: Sturm und Drang Vol. 1  11. Gassmann = Andrea del Sarto Andrea del Sarto: his works at Gallery of Art Gassmann: his works & bio at Imslp & Allmusic  12. de Majo = Giorgione Giorgione: his works at Gallery of Art de Majo: his works & bio at Imslp & Allmusic de Majo, Aria: Di rendermi la calma (from the opera Alessandro)  13. Porpora = Pietro Perugino: Porpora, with Durante, was one of the greatest teachers of the Neapolitan School and was the teacher/mentor of J. Haydn and the teacher of Traetta, Marianna von Martinez and Farinelli. Perugino: his works at Gallery of Art Porpora: his works & bio at Imslp & Allmusic Porpora: Alto Giove (extract with score, Jaroussky)  14. Benda = Lanfranco Lanfranco: his works at Gallery of Art Benda: his works & bio at Imslp & Allmusic  15. Gluck = Caravaggio: Gluck was saluted and recognized, for the first time, as a remarkable composer, by Durante (No. 4), one of the great masters of the Neapolitan School, in the 1750s. Caravaggio: his works at Gallery of Art Gluck: his works & bio at Imslp & Allmusic Discover the art of Gluck with Ian Page: Sturm und Drang Vol. 1  16. Piccinni = Tiziano Tiziano: his works at Gallery of Art Piccinni: his works & bio at Imslp & Allmusic  17. Traetta = Preti Preti: his works at Gallery of Art Traetta: his works & bio at Imslp & Allmusic Discover the art of Traetta with Ian Page: Sturm und Drang Vol. 1  18. Sacchini = Correggio Correggio: his works at Gallery of Art Sacchini: his works & bio at Imslp & Allmusic  19. Paisiello = Reni Reni: his works at Gallery of Art Paisiello: his works & bio at Imslp & Allmusic  20. Guglielmi = Giordano Giordano: his works at Gallery of Art Guglielmi: his works & bio at Imslp & Allmusic  21. Anfossi = Albani Albani: his works at Gallery of Art Anfossi: his works & bio at Imslp & Allmusic  22. Sarti = Domenichino Domenichino: his works at Gallery of Art Sarti: his works & bio at Imslp & Allmusic  23. Bertoni = Sacchi Sacchi: his works at Gallery of Art Bertoni: his works & bio at Imslp & Allmusic Bertoni, L'Orfeo, Atto III  24. Salieri = Annibale Carracci Annibale Carracci: his works at Gallery of Art Salieri: his works & bio at Imslp & Allmusic  25. Mozart = Giulio Romano Giulio Romano: his works at Gallery of Art Mozart: his works & bio at Imslp & Allmusic   26. Winter = Mengs Mengs: his works at Gallery of Art Winter: his works & bio at Imslp & Allmusic  27. Cimarosa = Veronese Veronese: his works at Gallery of Art Cimarosa: his works & bio at Imslp & Allmusic  28. Zingarelli = Guercino Guercino: his works at Gallery of Art Zingarelli: his works & bio at Imslp & Allmusic  29. Mayr = Maratta Maratta: his works at Gallery of Art Mayr: his works & bio at Imslp & Allmusic  30. Weigl = Parmigianino Parmigianino: his works at Gallery of Art Weigl: his works & bio at Imslp & Allmusic  31. Paer = Barocci Barocci: his works at Gallery of Art Paer: his works & bio at Imslp & Allmusic  32. Cherubini = Le Sueur Le Sueur: his works at Gallery of Art Cherubini: his works & bio at Imslp & Allmusic  33. Martin y Soler = Carpioni Carpioni: his works at Gallery of Art Martin y Soler: his works & bio at Imslp & Allmusic  34. Grétry = Capo dei manieristi, as Carpani wrote, and added nothing else: we have chosen here Vasari, that should be a nice choice. This is the only choice made by MozartCircle, the other 33 are all the original ones by Carpani. Vasari: his works at Gallery of Art Gretry: his works & bio at Imslp & Allmusic  MozartCircle S. & L.M. Jennarelli __________________ |
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Read the complete book by Carpani (MozartCircle Library): Le Haydine - 1812 at MozartCircle Library |
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