Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

ROME ROME 131
papal choir received many valuable hints from
him.
The Sistine Chapel was not the only one which
had a school or college of music attached to it,
though it was by far the earliest. In 1480
Sixtus IV. proposed the formation of a ' eappella
musicale ' in connection with the Vatican, distinct
from the Sistine ; his idea was not, however,
realised till the time of Julius II., when the
'Cappella Giulia' was founded (in 1513) for
twelve singers, twelve scholars, and two masters
for music and grammar. Arcadelt was the first
'Maestro de' Putti' (in 1539), Paleetrina the
first '
Maestro della cappella della basilica
Vaticana' (1551-54); amongoelebrated' maestri'
in later days were Tommaso Bai (1713-
1715), and Domenico Scarlatti (1715-19).
The 'Cappella musicale nella protobasUica di
S. Giovanni in Laterano' was founded in 1535
by Cardinal de Cupis ; one of the earliest
'Maestri de' Putti' was Lasso (1541); Palestrina
held the office of 'Maestro di cappella'
here after his exclusion from the Vatican chapel
(1555-61). The 'Cappella di Musica nella
basilica Liberiana' (or Sta. Maria Maggiore)
was founded about the same time as the Lateran
chapel, and numbers among its maestri Palestrina
(1561-71), Giov. Maria Nanini (1571-
1575), and Alessandro Scarlatti (1703-9).
Besides these exclusively ecclesiastical schools,
others were established by private individuals.
The first man who is known to have kept a
public music school at Kome was a certain
Gaudio Mell, whose school is supposed to have
been founded about the year 1539 ; and among
his earliest pupils were Palestrina, Giovanni
Animuccia, and Giovanni Maria Nanini. In
1549, Nicola Vicentino, the would-be restorer
of the ancient Greek Modes, opened a small
private school at Rome, into which a few select
pupils were admitted, whom he endeavouied to
indoctrinate with his musical views. But it
was not till a quarter of a century later that a
public music school was opened by an Italian.
Whether it was that Nanini was inspired by
his master's example, or, which is still more
likely, was stirred by the musical agitation of
the day, is of little importance ;
but it is certain
that the year to which the opening of his
school is attributed was the same which saw
the foundation of the order of Oratorians, who
in the person of their leader, St. Filippo Neri,
were then doing so much for the promotion of
music. Nanini soon induced his former fellowpupil,
Palestrina, to assist him in teaching, and
he appears to have given finishing lessons.
Among their best pupils were Felice Anerio and
Gregorio Allegri. After Palestrina's death,
Nanini associated his younger brother Bernardino
with him in the work of instruction,
and it was probably for their scholars that they
wrote jointly their treatise on counterpoint.
Giovanni Maria dying in 1607 was succeeded by
Bernardino, who was in his turn succeeded by his
pupil and son-in-law Paolo Agostini. It must
have been this school that produced the singers
in the earliest operas and oratorios of Pevi,
Angelica to practise singing against the echo
for which that neighbourhood was famous. In
1662 Pompeo Natale kept a music school, at
which Giuseppe Ottavio Pitoni, the reputed
master of Duiante and Leo, learnt singing and
counterpoint. G. A. Angelini Buontempi, a
-
pupil of the Mazzocchis, writing in 1695, says
that Fedi, a celebrated singer, had opened the
first school exclusively for singing at Rome.
His example was soon followed by Giuseppe
Amadori, with equal success ; the latter was a
Cacoini, Monteverde, Oavaliere, Gagliano, etc.
In the second quarter of the 17th century a
rival school was set up by a pupil of B. Nanini,
Domenico Mazzocchi, who, with his younger
brother Virgilio, opened a music school, which
was soon in a very flourishing condition ; this
was due in a great measure to the fact that the
mastei-s were themselves both singers and composers.
Their curriculum differed but slightly
from that of the Palestrina - Nanini school.
In the morning one hour was given daily to
practising difficult passages, a second to the
shake, a third to the study of literature, and
another hour to singing with the master before
a mirror ; in the afternoon an hour was occupied
in the study of the theory of music, another in
writing exercises in counterpoint, and another
in literature ; the remainder of the day (indoors)
was employed in practising the harpsichord and
in composition. Outside the school the pupils
used sometimes to give their vocal services at
neighbouring churches, or else they went to
hear some well-known singer ; at other times
they were taken to a spot beyond the Porta
pupil of P. Agostini and no doubt had not
entirely forgotten the teachings of the old
school ; but by the end of the 17th century
its traditions were gradually dying out, to be
replaced by the virtuosity of the 18th century.
We must now retrace our steps and give some
account of the most important musical institution
at Rome of past or present time—the Congregazioue
dei Musici di Roma sotto 1' invocazione
'
di Sta. Cecilia.' It was founded by Pius V.
in 1666, but its existence is usually dated from
1584, when its charter was confirmed by Gregory
XIII. ; almost all the masters and pupils of the
Palestrina-Nanini school enrolled their names
on its books, and their example has been since
followed by over 4000 others, including every
Italian of note, and in the 19th century many
illustrious foreigners, such as John Field,
Wagner, Liszt, Gounod, etc. etc.
The officers originally appointed were a
Cardinal Protector, a ' Primicerio ' or president,
usually a person of high position, a Consiglio
'
dirigente' of four members (representing the
four sections—composition, the organ, singing.