Giulio Cesare Martinengo

Giulio Cesare Martinengo. Venetian School composer and teacher of the late Renaissance and early Baroque musical era.

He was preceded by Giovanni Croce and followed by Claudio Monteverdi as “maestro di cappella” at San Mark’s Basilica.

Unfortunately, little of his work survived. One motet, “Regnum mundi”, is in the progressive “concertato” style. He also wrote three books of madrigals.

Life

Music

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Giulio Cesare Martinengo – LIFE

He probably came from Verona and was the son of composer Gabriele Martinengo. Birthdate accounts are conflicting. One from his mother claims he was born in 1564, but a document from the “house of the Accoliti” in Verona; gives his age in 1583 as 15.

He studied with his father in Verona and in the 1590’s; he served at Verona Cathedral as a singer, as well as a priest.

Martinengo is principally famous, as the successor to Giovanni Croce and predecessor to Claudio Monteverdi, to the post of “maestro di cappella” at San Marco in Venice, which was by far the most prestigious post in northern Italy. He was hired on the 22nd of August 1609; at a pay of 200 ducats, after an audition and on the recommendation of the Veronese.

Martinengo’s tenure was a failure and according to contemporary accounts, he was sick most of the time and the standards of the choir and instrumentalists slipped badly. In addition, the establishment took on considerable debt and became disorganised and demoralised.

Martinengo lacked the ability to manage the finances. According to the records of St Mark’s, he continually asked for advances on his salary; he was unable to pay the basilica’s creditors and on his death he still owed the treasurer his back salary for several months.

He died only four years after his appointment and the basilica’s authorities, were much relieved to be able to hire Claudio Monteverdi; who restored the musical establishment at San Marco, to the magnificence it had lost.

He died on the 7th October 1613 in Venice, aged 49 years. It is thought that he had no children.

MUSIC

Unfortunately, very little of Martinengo’s music has survived. One motet, “Regnum mundi”, is in the progressive “concertato style”. He also wrote three books of madrigals.

One excellent recording, containing his work “Regnum mundi”, is a collection of the most important works in the field of sacred solo-voice motets of that era; published in Venice in 1625, by Leonardo Simonetti.

Above left: “Ghirlanda sacra scielta da diversi eccellentissimi compositori de varii motetti à voce sola” (Venice, 1625)

The collection of 44 motets for solo voice and basso continuo, that was published in Venice in 1625, by Leonardo Simonetti; appeared on the scene of early-16th-century Italian music, as one of the most important works in the field of sacred solo-voice motets.

The editor, a chorister in the Cappella Marciana, which was then conducted by the great Claudio Monteverdi; collected these pieces choosing them among the most important ones produced by composers chiefly from the area of Venice and Veneto. Simonetti, placed his master Claudio Monteverdi at the head of the collection with four pieces. A second printing followed in 1636.

You can listen to this recording on Spotify or other music streaming sites.

Above right: an example of a “Ghirlanda sacra” – Sacred garland or wreath.

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