Giovanni Croce

Giovanni Croce. A Venetian School composer of both sacred and secular music; was particularly prominent as a madrigalist in Italy and abroad.

As a composer of sacred music, his early work was mostly conservative in approach, but later developed a more forward-looking “concertante” style; typical of the transition from the musical Renaissance to early Baroque era.

His canzonettas and madrigals (published in seven books, 1585–1607), were particularly influential in England; where they inaugurated a mania for madrigal composition.

Despite his renown in Italy and abroad; his music has not maintained the same fame today.

Life

Music and Influence

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Giovanni Croce – LIFE

Giovanni Croce, also known as Zuanne Chiozotto, was born about 1557, in Chioggia; a fishing town, situated on the Adriatic coast of the lagoon, south-west of Venice.

He came to Venice early, at the age of 8 years old, becoming a member of the boys choir at St. Mark’s; under and direction Gioseffo Zarlino (who also hailed from Chioggia). Zarlino had evidently found him in a choir in Chioggia Cathedral and recruited him for St. Mark’s.

Croce may have been a parish priest, at the church of Santa Maria Formosa and he took holy orders in 1585; during this period he also served as a singer at St. Mark’s. He evidently maintained some connection, probably as a director of music; with the church of Santa Maria Formosa; alongside his duties at St. Mark’s.

After Zarlino’s death, he became assistant “maestro di cappella”; during the tenure of Baldassare Donato. On the death of Donato in 1603, Croce took over the principal job as maestro di cappella. Unfortunately, the singing standards of the famous St. Mark’s cathedral declined under his direction; probably due more to his declining health; than his lack of musicianship.

He died on the 15th May 1609 and the position of maestro di cappella, went to Giulio Cesare Martinengo; until Monteverdi took the post in 1613.

MUSIC AND INFLUENCE

Croce wrote less music in the grand polychoral style, than Andrea and Giovanni Gabrieli, although he left a grand mass for four choirs, composed for Ferdinand of Austria (the future Emperor Ferdinand II) and several triple-choir Psalm settings; only one of which has survived.

As a result his music has not maintained the same fame today, despite the fact that in his day; he was renowned as a composer and had a large influence on music, both in Italy and abroad.

As a composer of sacred music he was mostly conservative, writing “cori spezzati” (split choirs) in the manner of Adrian Willaert and parody masses; more like the music composed by the members of the contemporary Roman School, such as Palestrina. Their characteristics are clarity of form and a devotional spirit. However, later in his career he wrote some music in the more modern Venetian style of his day – the forward-looking “concertato style”; using multiple choruses, solo voices, crisp instrumental rhythms, and basso continuo (reinforced bass line and improvised chords for harmonic support).

The posthumous collection, the “Sacre Cantilene Concertate” of 1610, is for 3, 5 or 6 solo voices, continuo and a 4-voice Ripieno; which can be multiplied ad lib (presumably in different parts of the church).

Most of Croce’s sacred music is for double-choir: this includes three masses, two books of motets and sets of music for “Terce, Lauds and Vespers”. Although most of his sacred music was written for the professional singers of St Mark’s (including several pieces written for their participation in a freelance company of musicians under Croce’s direction, who performed for the Scuole Grande of Venice); much of his music is technically simple. For that reason much of it, especially the secular music, has remained more popular with amateurs. One collection, the “motets for 4 voices” of 1597; is clearly designed for less ambitious church choirs.

He is also credited with the first published continuo parts, many of his double-choir collections being issued either with a “Basso per sonare nell’organo” or a “Partidura”, (or Spartidura); which indicated two choirs.

Stylistically, Croce was more influenced by Andrea Gabrieli, than his nephew Giovanni; even though they were exact contemporaries. He preferred the emotional coolness, the clarity of Palestrinia and the generally lighter character of Andrea’s music.

Croce was particularly important in the development of the canzonetta and the madrigal comedy and wrote a large quantity of easily singable, popular and often hilarious music. Some of his collections are satirical, for example setting to music ridiculous scenes at Venetian carnivals (“Mascarate piacevoli et ridicolose per il Carnevale”, 1590); some of which are in dialect.

He was one of the first composers to use the term “capriccio”, as a title for one of the canzonettas in his collection “Triaca musicale” (musical cure for animal bites) of 1595. Both this and the “Mascarate piacevoli” collections, were intended to be sung in costumes and masks, at Venetian carnivals.

His canzonettas and madrigals were influential in the Netherlands and particularly in England; where they were reprinted in the second book of “Musica transalpine” (1597), one of the collections which inaugurated the mania for madrigal composition there.

Croce’s music remained popular in England and Thomas Morley specifically singled him out as a master composer; indeed Croce may have been the biggest single influence on him. He assimilated it into his music and adapted it for English taste; which preferred a lighter mood of poetry and of music. John Dowland visited him in Italy as well. Other English madrigalists included, John Wilbye, Thomas Weelkes, Thomas Tomkins, and Orlando Gibbons.

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