Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

1;
STEPFANI STEFFANI 679
were paid by the Court Ti-easurer out of this,
and the balance was sent to him in Venice,
where he had gone. The main reason for his
deserting Munich was no doubt that on the death
of the elder Bernabei at the end of the year
1687 his son, who had come from Italy in 1677
to fill the post of Vice-Capellmeister, was in
the early part of 1688 made Capellmeister, thus
debarring Steffani from further promotion.
Added to this, the Duke of Brunswick, Ernst
August, who had been present at the festivities
when Servio Tullio ' ' was performed, was so delighted
with Steffani's music and singing that he
had already made him an offer to go to Hanover,
and Steffani appears actually to have made use
of the leave granted for the Badekur in Italy
in 1686 to spend his time in Hajiover instead of
there. The appointment then of the younger
Bernabei to the Munich Capellmeistership must
have decided him at once to leave Munich, and
from Venice at the end of 1688 or early in
1689 he made his way to Hanover, there to
remain and become CapeUmeister, and a good
deal besides.
If Munich was a pleasant place for a musician
of genius, Hanover was not far behind it. It
might not have the same glorious musical history
; but Steffani found there congenial society,
and singers and players of great excellence.
The Court of Hanover was renowned for its
magnificence and courtesy, which were, however,
combined with a friendly simplicity held to be
the best in Germany.^ One of its principal
ornaments was the great philosopher Leibniz,
who had resided there since 1676, and who, with
the Duchess Sophia, had raised the tone of the
Court to a very high intellectual standard.
There was also the court poet, Abbate Ortensio
Mauro, at once Geheimer Secretar, Hofceremonielmeister,
and political agent, who came to Hanover
in 1679, and in whom the Duchess placed
great confidence. Steffani became the friend
of these men. Up to this time the operas at
Hanover (chiefly imported from Venice) were
given in the small French theatre, but that being
deemed too small, a new opera-house was built,
which was pronounced to be the most beautiful
in all Germany. It created the reputation of
its architect Thomas Giusti, and caused him to
be called to Berlin and other towns for similar
purposes. The new house was opened in 1689
with 'Henrico Leone,' by Mauro and Steffani.
The score in Buckingham Palace gives a list
of the scenes, machinery, etc., which might
astonish even a 20th-century reader. It had
a very great success, was given in German
in 1696 at Hamburg and in 1697 at Brunswick,
and acquired great celebrity. The opera
'
shows marked advance on Marco Aurelio.' A
leraarkable change is found in the instrumentation.
There are flutes, hautboys, bassoons,
three trumpets and dnmas, in addition to the
1 See Cliryaander'B Jliinelxl.
strings, in four parts. There are delightful
contrapuntal devices in the scoring, all the
wind instruments have obbligato passages, one
air a vigorous fagotto obbligato throughout.
Chrysander states {HSmdeV) that the operacompany
in Hanover was divided into two
camps, an instrumental (French) and a vocal
(Italian), both, however, working harmoniously.
The singers must have been of the
best if they could execute these difficult arias
the hand, too, must have been excellent. The
leading violin in the orchestra was Farinelli
(uncle of the famous singer), who had been much
in France and in Spain. Corelli was a gi'eat
friend of Conoertmeister Farinelli, and during
his tour in Germany spent some time at
Hanover, where he became acquainted with
the Electoral family. The hautboys, too,
were particularly good, and Chrysander supposes
that Handel wrote his first hautboy
concerto for this orchestra.
'
Henrico Leone ' was followed in the summer
of this year by La ' lotta d'Alcide con Achelao,' a
divertimento drammatico in one act, a charming
work, written probably also by Mauro. It seems
to have been performed at the Summer Theati'e at
HeiTcnhausen. The next opera was 'Lasuperbia
d' Alessandro,' in 1690 (the conducting score
gives 1691 as the date), the words by Mauro ;
a fine work. Many songs have obbligato instrumental
parts, especially one in the second act,
where two flutesobbligati are sustained by muted
violins and alto—a beautiful piece ; also one song
with harpsichord solo. This opera also found its
way to Hamburg and Brunswick in a German
'
translation. Orlandogeneroso ' came out in 1 6 9
—another fine work written in conjunction with
Mauro. Le ' Rivali coneordi ' appeared in 1692,
written again by Mauro, and afterwards performed
at Hamburg. We now come to La
'
liberty contenta' (Ma^iiro) in 1693, in which
evidence is given of great further progress, for
nothing of such importance had hitherto come
from his pen. It is fuU of beauties of all kinds
—a fine overture, fine counterpoint, beautiful
melodies, very difficult arias, and powerful
recitatives. It had the greatest success, and
was most highly thought of at Hamburg; The
movements are longer and more developed than
in his previous works.
It was in the next year that Steffani issued
his celebrated pamphlet, entitled Quanta, certezza
habbia da suai Principii la Mitsica, ed
in gual prerjio fosse perdd presso gli Antichi.
Amsterdam, 1695. Risposta di D. A. Steffani
Abbate di Lepsing Protonotario della San Sede
Apostolica. Ad una lettera del S". March".
A. G. In difesa d' una Proposizione sostenuta
da lui in una Assemblea. Hannovera Sett.
1694, 72 pp. in 12. It was translated twice into
German : in 1699 by Andreas Werckmeister at
Quedlinburg ; in 1760 by Jean Laurent Albrecht
at Miihlhausen. Steffani ably discusses the