See also:

• AGOSTINO
• AGOSTINO, or AGOSTINI [AUGUSTINUS], PAOLO (1593-1629)

AGOSTINO See also:

• AGOSTINO STEFFANI (1653-1728)

STEFFANI (1653-1728)  , See also:

• ITALIAN

Italian ecclesiastic, diplomatist and musical composer, was See also:

• BORN, IGNAZ, EDLER VON (1742–1791)

born at See also:

• CASTELFRANCO

Castelfranco on the 25th of See also:

• JULY

July 1653 . At a very See also:

• EARLY
• EARLY, JUBAL ANDERSON (1816-1894)

early See also:

• AGE (Fr. age, through late Lat. aetaticum, from aetas)

age he was admitted as a chorister at St See also:

• MARK
• MARK, CARL (1858– )
• MARK, GOSPEL OF ST
• MARK, ST

Mark's, See also:

• VENICE
• VENICE (continued)
• VENICE (Venezia)

Venice . In 1667 the beauty of his See also:

• VOICE (Fr. voix, from Lat. vox)

voice attracted the See also:

• ATTENTION (from Lat. ad-tendo, await, expect; the condition of being " stretched " or " tense ")

attention of See also:

• COUNT (Lat. comes, gen. comitis, Fr. comte, Ital. conte, Span. conde)

Count Tattenbach, by whom he was taken to See also:

• MUNICH (Ger. Munchen)

Munich, where his See also:

• EDUCATION

education was completed at the expense of See also:

• FERDINAND
• FERDINAND (1577-1650)
• FERDINAND (COLOGNE)
• FERDINAND (Span. Fernando or Hernando; Ital. Ferdinando or Ferrante; in O. H. Ger. Herinand, i.e. " brave in the host," from O. H. G. Heri, "army," A. S. here, Mod. Ger. Heer, and the Goth. nan]jan, " to dare ")
• FERDINAND, MAXIMILIAN KARL LEOPOLD MARIA

Ferdinand Maria, elector of See also:

• BAVARIA (Ger. Bayern)

Bavaria, who appointed him " Churfurstlicher Kammer- and Hofmusikus " and granted him a liberal See also:

• SALARY

salary . After receiving instruction from Johann Kaspar Kerl, in whose See also:

• CHARGE
• CHARGE (through the Fr. from the Late Lat. carricare, to load in a carrus or wagon; cf. " cargo ")

charge he lived, he was sent in 1673 to study in See also:

• ROME
• ROME (Roma)

Rome, where Ercole Bernabei was his See also:

• MASTER (Lat. magister, related to tnagis, more, as the corresponding minister is to minus, less; the English form is due partly to the O. Eng. maegister, and partly to O. Fr. maistre, mod. maitre; cf. Du. meester, Ger. Meister, Ital. maestro)

master, and among other See also:

• WORKS

works he composed six motets, the See also:

• ORIGINAL

original See also:

• MANUSCRIPTS

manuscripts of which are now in the See also:

• FITZWILLIAM, SIR WILLIAM (1526-1599)
• FITZWILLIAM, WILLIAM WENTWORTH FITZWILLIAM, 2ND EARL (1748-1833)

Fitzwilliam Museum at See also:

• CAMBRIDGE
• CAMBRIDGE, EARLS AND DUKES OF
• CAMBRIDGE, RICHARD OWEN (1717-1802)

Cambridge . On his return to Munich in 1674 he published his first See also:

• WORK

work, Psalmodia vespertine, a See also:

• PART

part of which was reprinted in See also:

• MARTINI, GIOVANNI BATTISTA (1706–1784)
• MARTINI, SIMONE (1283-1344)

Martini's Saggio di contrappunto in 1674 . In 1675 he was appointed See also:

• COURT
• COURT (from the O. Fr. court, Late Lat. cortis, curtis, a popular form of class. Lat. cohors, gen. cohortis; the mod. Fr. form tour is due to the influence of the Lat. curia, the word used in medieval documents to translate " court " in the feudal sense)
• COURT, ANTOINE (1696-176o)

court organist . The date when he was ordained See also:

• PRIEST (Ger. Priester, Fr. pretre)

priest, with the See also:

• TITLE (0. Fr. title, mod. titre, from Lat. titulus)

title of Abbate of Lepsing, is not precisely known . His ecclesiastical status did not prevent him from turning his attention to the See also:

• STAGE (Fr. 6/age; from Lat. stare, to stand)

stage, for which, at different periods of his See also:

• LIFE

life, he composed work which undoubtedly exercised a potent See also:

• INFLUENCE (Late Lat. influentia, from influere, to flow in)

influence upon the dramatic See also:

• MUSIC

music of the See also:

• PERIOD
• PERIOD (Gr. irepioSos, a going or way round, circuit, aepi, round, and &Sis, way, road)

period . Of his first See also:

• OPERA (Italian for " work ")

opera, Marco Aurelio, written for the See also:

• CARNIVAL (Med. Lat. carnelevarium, from taro, tarns, flesh, and levare, to lighten or put aside; the derivation from valere, to say farewell, is unsupported)

carnival and produced at Munich in 1681, the only copy known to exist is a See also:

• MANUSCRIPT

manuscript See also:

• SCORE (O.E. scor, from sceran, to cut, notch, cf. " shear ")

score preserved in the royal library at See also:

• BUCKINGHAM
• BUCKINGHAM, EARLS, MARQUESSES AND DUKES OF
• BUCKINGHAM, FIRST DUKE
• BUCKINGHAM, GEORGE VILLIERS, 1ST DUKE 0E1
• BUCKINGHAM, GEORGE VILLIERS, 2ND DUKE 0E1 (1628-1687)
• BUCKINGHAM, HENRY STAFFORD, 2ND DUKE OF3 (1454-1483)
• BUCKINGHAM, JAMES SILK (1786-1855)

Buckingham See also:

• PALACE (Lat. Palatium, the name given by Augustus to his residence on the Palatine Hill)

Palace . It was followed by Solone in 1685, by Audacia e rispetto, See also:

• PREROGATIVE

prerogative d'amore and Servio Tullio in 1686, by Alarico in 1687, and by See also:

• NIOBE

Niobe in 1688; but of these works no trace can now be discovered . Not-withstanding the favour shown to him by the elector See also:

• MAXIMILIAN
• MAXIMILIAN (1832—1867)

Maximilian Emanuel, he accepted in 1688 the See also:

• APPOINTMENT, POWER OF

appointment of Kapellmeister at the court of See also:

• HANOVER
• HANOVER (Ger. Hannover)

Hanover, where he speedily improved an acquaintance dating from 1681 with Ernest See also:

• AUGUSTUS (a name 1 derived from Lat. augeo, increase, i.e. venerable, majestic, Gr. Ee0avr6s)

Augustus, See also:

• DUKE (corresponding to Fr. duc, Ital. duca, Ger. Herzog)

duke of See also:

• BRUNSWICK
• BRUNSWICK (Ger. Braunschweig)
• BRUNSWICK, KARL WILHELM FERDINAND, DUKE OF (1735-18o6)

Brunswick-See also:

• LUNEBURG

Luneburg (afterwards elector of Hanover), winning also a pleasant footing with the duchess See also:

• SOPHIA (1630-1714)

Sophia See also:

• CHARLOTTE

Charlotte (afterwards electress of See also:

• BRANDENBURG

Brandenburg), the philosopher See also:

• LEIBNITZ (LEIBNIZ), GOTTFRIED WILHELM

Leibnitz, the Abbate Ortensio Mauro, and many men of letters and intelligence, and where, in 1710, he showed See also:

• GREAT

great kindness to See also:

• HANDEL, GEORGE FREDERICK (1685–1759)

Handel, who was then just entering upon his glorious career . He inaugurated a See also:

• LONG, GEORGE (1800-1879)
• LONG, JOHN DAVIS (1838– )

long See also:

• SERIES (a Latin word from serere, to join)

series of triumphs in Hanover by composing, for the opening of the new opera See also:

• HOUSE
• HOUSE (O. Eng. hiss, a word common to Teutonic languages, cf. Dut. huis, Ger. Haus; in Gothic it is only found in gudhiss, a temple; it may be ultimately connected with the root of " hide," conceal)

house in 1689, an opera called Enrico ii Leone, which was produced with extraordinary splendour and achieved an immense reputation .

For the same See also:

• THEATRE (BEarpov, " a place for seeing," from OeacOae)

theatre he composed La Lotta d'Ercole See also:

• CON

con Achilleo in 1689, La Superbia d' Alessandro in 1690, Orlando generoso in 1691, Le Rivali concordi in 1692, La See also:

• LIBERIA

Liberia contenta in 1693, I Trionfi del fato. and I Baccanali in 1695, and Briseide in 1696 . The libretto of Briseide is by Palmieri . Those of most if not all the others are by the Abbate Mauro . The scores are preserved at Buckingham Palace, where, in See also:

• COMPANY

company with five volumes of songs and three of duets, they See also:

• FORM (Lat. forma)

form part of the collection brought to See also:

• ENGLAND
• ENGLAND, THE CHURCH OF

England by the elector of Hanover in 1714 . But it was not only as a musician that See also:

• STEFFANI, AGOSTINO (1653-1728)

Steffani distinguished himself in his new See also:

• HOME
• HOME, DANIEL DUNGLAS (1833-1886)
• HOME, EARLS OF

home . The See also:

• ELEVATION

elevation of Ernest Augustus to the electorate in 1692 led tc difficulties, for the arrangement of which it was necessary that an See also:

• AMBASSADOR (also EMBASSADOR, the form sometimes still used in America; from the Fr. ambassadeur, with which compare Ital. ambasciatore and Span. embajador, all variants of the Med. Lat. ambassiator, ambassiator, ambasator, &c., derived from Med. Lat. amba

ambassador should visit the various See also:

• GERMAN
• GERMAN, DUTCH AND SCANDINAVIAN

German courts, armed with a considerable amount of See also:

• DIPLOMATIC

diplomatic See also:

• POWER [WILLIAM GRATTAN] TYRONE (1797-1841)

power . The accomplished abbate was sent on this delicate See also:

• MISSION

mission in 1696, with the title of See also:

• ENVOY (Fr. envoye, " sent ")

envoy extraordinary, and he fulfilled his difficult task so well that See also:

• POPE (Gr. irarraas, post-classical Lat. papa, father)
• POPE, ALEXANDER (1688–1744)
• POPE, ALEXANDER (1763-1835)
• POPE, JANE (1742-1818)
• POPE, JOHN (1822-1892)
• POPE, SIR THOMAS (c. 1507-1559)

Pope See also:

• INNOCENT (INNOCENTIUS)
• INNOCENT (POPES)

Innocent XI., in recognition of certain privileges he had secured for the Hanoverian Catholics, consecrated him See also:

• BISHOP (A.S. bisceop, from Lat. episcopus, Gr. irio-Korros, " overlooker " or " overseer ")
• BISHOP, ISABELLA (1832-1904)
• BISHOP, SIR HENRY ROWLEY (1786-1855)

bishop of Spiga in the See also:

• SPANISH

Spanish See also:

• WEST
• WEST, BENJAMIN (1738-1820)
• WEST, NICHOLAS (1461-1533)

West Indies . In 1698 he was sent as ambassador to See also:

• BRUSSELS (Fr. Bruxelles, Flem. Brussel)

Brussels, and after the See also:

• DEATH

death of Ernest Augustus in the same See also:

• YEAR

year he entered the service of the elector See also:

• PALATINE (from Lat. palatium, a palace,)

palatine, See also:

• JOHN
• JOHN (1167–1216)
• JOHN (1290-c. 1320)
• JOHN (1296-1346)
• JOHN (1371–1419)
• JOHN (1468-1532)
• JOHN (1801-1873)
• JOHN (Heb. llni')
• JOHN (ZAPOLYA) (1487-1540)
• JOHN, 4TH MARQUESS OF TWEEDDALE (c. 1695-1762)
• JOHN, DON (1545-1578)
• JOHN, DON (1629–1679)
• JOHN, GOSPEL OF ST
• JOHN, or HAYS (1513–1571)
• JOHN, THE APOSTLE
• JOHN, THE EPISTLES OF

John See also:

• WILLIAM
• WILLIAM (1143-1214)
• WILLIAM (1227-1256)
• WILLIAM (1J33-1584)
• WILLIAM (A.S. Wilhelm, O. Norse Vilhidlmr; O. H. Ger. Willahelm, Willahalm, M. H. Ger. Willehelm, Willehalm, Mod.Ger. Wilhelm; Du. Willem; O. Fr. Villalme, Mod. Fr. Guillaume; from " will," Goth. vilja, and " helm," Goth. hilms, Old Norse hidlmr, meaning
• WILLIAM (c. 1130-C. 1190)
• WILLIAM, 13TH

William, at D' sseldorf, where he held the offices of privy councillor and protonotary of the See also:

• HOLY

holy. see . Invested with these high honours, Steffani could scarcely continue to produce dramatic compositions in public without grievous See also:

• BREACH (Mid. Eng. breche, derived from the common Teutonic root brec, which appears in " break," Ger. brechen, &c.)

breach of See also:

• ETIQUETTE

etiquette . But his See also:

• GENIUS (from Lat. genere, gignere)

genius was too importunate to submit to repression; and in 1709 he ingeniously avoided the difficulty by producing two new operas—Enea at Hanover and Tassilone at See also:

• DUSSELDORF

Dusseldorf—in the name of his secretary and See also:

• AMANUENSIS (a Latin word, derived from the phrase servus a menu, slave of the hand, a secretary)

amanuensis Gregorio Piva, whose See also:

• SIGNATURE (through Fr. from Lat. signature, signare, to sign, signum, mark, token, sign)

signature is attached to the scores preserved at Buckingham Palace . Another score-that of Arminio—in the same collection, dated Dusseldorf, 1707, and evidently the work of Steffani, bears no composer's name . Steffani did not accompany the elector See also:

• GEORGE
• GEORGE, 8TH MARQUESS OF TWEEDDALE (1787-1876)
• GEORGE, HENRY (1839—1897)
• GEORGE, LAKE
• GEORGE, SAINT (d. 303)

George to England; but in 1724 the See also:

• ACADEMY, GREEK
• ACADEMY, ROYAL

Academy of Antient Musick in See also:

• LONDON

London elected him its honorary See also:

• PRESIDENT (Fr. president, from Lat. praesidens, post-Augustan Lat. for praeses, director, ruler, from praesidere, to sit in front of, preside)

president for life; and in return for the compliment he sent the association a magnificent Stabat Mater, for six voices and See also:

• ORCHESTRA (Fr. Orchestre; Ger. Kapelle, Orchester; Ital. Orchestra)

orchestra, and three See also:

• FINE

fine madrigals .

The manuscripts of these are still in existence, and the See also:

• BRITISH

British Museum possesses a very fine Confitebor, for three voices and orchestra, of about the same period . All these compositions are very much in advance. of the age in which they were written; and in his operas Steffani shows an appreciation of the demands of the stage very remarkable indeed at a period at which the musical See also:

• DRAMA (literally "action," from Gr. Snail, act or do)

drama was gradually approaching the See also:

• CHARACTER (Gr. xapareri7p, from xap&crew, to scratch)

character of a merely formal See also:

• CONCERT (through the French from Lat. con-, with, and certare, to strive)

concert, with scenery and dresses . But for the manuscripts at Buckingham Palace these operas would be utterly unknown; but Steffani will never cease to be remembered by his beautiful chamber-duets,• which, like those of his contemporary Carlo Maria See also:

• CLARI, GIOVANNI CARLO MARIA

Clari (1669-1745), are chiefly written in the form of cantatas for two voices, accompanied by a figured See also:

• BASS
• BASS (the same word as " base," and so pronounced, but influenced in spelling by the Ital. basso)

bass The British Museum (Add . See also:

• MSS

MSS . 50.55 seq.) possesses more than a See also:

• HUNDRED

hundred of these charming compositions, some of which were published at Munich in 1679 . Steffani visited See also:

• ITALY
• ITALY (Italia)

Italy for the last See also:

• TIME (0. Eng. Lima, cf. Icel. timi, Swed. timme, hour, Dan. time; from the root also seen in " tide," properly the time of between the flow and ebb of the sea, cf. O. Eng. getidan, to happen, " even-tide," &c.; it is not directly related to Lat. tempus)
• TIME, MEASUREMENT OF
• TIME, STANDARD

time in 1727, in which year Handel, who always gratefully remembered the kindness he had received from him at Hanover, once more met him at the palace of See also:

• CARDINAL (Lat. cardinalis)

Cardinal Ottoboni in Rome . This was the last time the two composers were destined to meet . Steffani returned soon afterwards to Hanover, and died on the 12th of See also:

• FEBRUARY

February 1728 while engaged in the transaction of some diplomatic business at See also:

• FRANKFORT

Frankfort . Steffani stands somewhat apart from contemporary Italian composers (e.g . Alessandro See also:

• SCARLATTI, ALESSANDRO (1659-1725)

Scarlatti) in his mastery of instrumental forms . His opera overtures, &c., show a remarkable See also:

• COMBINATION (Lat. combinare, to combine)

combination of Italian suavity with a logical conciseness of construction which is due to See also:

• FRENCH
• FRENCH, DANIEL CHESTER (1850– )
• FRENCH, NICHOLAS (1604-1678)

French influence . In vocal music he is certainly inferior to Scarlatti, and none of his famous duets, despite their See also:

• CHARM (through the Fr. from the Lat. carmen, a song)

charm, can compare for seriousness of intention with the Sicilian's master's chamber-cantatas .

His instrumental music, however, is historically important as a See also:

• FACTOR (from Lat. facere, to make or do)

factor in the See also:

• ARTISTIC

artistic development of Handel .