Girolamo Cavazzoni

Girolamo Cavazzoni (b c1525; d after 1577). Italian composer, son of Marco Antonio Cavazzoni . Mischiati placed his birth between 1506 and 1512, when both his father and Pietro Bembo were in Urbino, on the basis of a confusion between him and Girolamo de Adaldis, an organist at Mantua from about 1520 to 1564.

Certainly, Cavazzoni said that he was born while his father was in Bembo's service, but in the preface to his first publication (Intavolatura libro primo, 1543) he referred to himself as ‘quasi fanciullo’ (probably about 17). He obtained a privilege from the Venetian senate on 31 October 1542 for the printing of this volume. The second volume, which carries no publication date, must have been printed before 1549, the date of the death of its dedicatee, Benedetto Accolti, Cardinal of Ravenna. Ortensio Landi referred to a ‘Girolamo d’Urbino’ in his Cathaloghi (Venice, 1552) as one of the best musicians of that period; and three of Cavazzoni's works were reprinted after 1555, ascribed to Hieronymo d'Urbino. In 1565–6 he supervised the building of the organ in the church of S Barbara, Mantua, and also played the organ there at Mass. He apparently was closely associated with the music-loving Guglielmo Gonzaga, for on 17 October 1565 he requested the duke to purchase some silver spoons for him at Venice. During his Mantuan years Cavazzoni taught the organ to Costanzo Antegnati (1549–1624), son of the organ builder at S Barbara, Graziadio Antegnati. Costanzo's L'arte organica (Brescia, 1608) recalls Cavazzoni as ‘Hieronimo d'Urbino già mio honorato maestro’. Mischiati stated that Cavazzoni was still organist at S Barbara in 1577.

Cavazzoni's four ricercares (1543) differ strikingly from the pair published in 1523 by his father, Marco Antonio, for they comprise a series of imitative expositions, each having from three to 19 entries, connected by a few free figurative sections. The large number of entries of a single point and also the appearance of an ensuing point as the conclusion of a preceding one suggest that the stylistic model was the vocal music of Gombert's generation. Unlike Cavazzoni's rather austere ensemble ricercares of 1540 (a 4) and 1551 (a 3), those of 1543 are enlivened by idiomatic cadential flourishes and occasional rapid passage-work; they are, however, almost always supported by continuing polyphony. Aside from modal similarities, there is no indication that the four keyboard ricercares of 1543 were intended to be connected with their ensuing canzonas, hymns or Magnificat settings. Brevity, restricted range, absence of clear cadential points and a subsequent lack of sectionalism distinguish Cavazzoni's two ensemble ricercares from those for keyboard.

The two canzonas are modelled on chansons by Josquin and Passereau. They are not transcriptions but arrangements, reducing Josquin's five voices to four, altering pitches of the points of imitation and the times of their entries, radically shortening Passereau's chanson, and introducing passaggi, especially at cadences.

The 12 hymns, probably intended to be played in alternation with a choir, present their cantus firmi usually in a single voice, normally superius or bassus (tenor in Jesu nostra redemptio), and only occasionally migrate from one voice to another (e.g. bass to tenor in Jesu corona virginum). Sometimes a brief contrapuntal introduction precedes the statement of the hymn tune, and motifs derived from the tune inspire the surrounding imitative polyphony. The textural severity is lightened by passaggi, which in Christi redemptor omnium are quite extended. Cavazzoni's four Magnificat settings are for alternatim performance. He set the odd-numbered verses, treating the chant not as a cantus firmus, however, but as a source for imitative expositions. Since the chant is both decorated and presented differently in each verse, a series of miniature variations results.

The three settings of the Mass are also for organ performance alternating with a choir. The first is based on Mass IV, the second on Mass XI, and the third on Mass IX. The Gloria of the last incorporates some Marian tropes which were customary in masses de Beata Virgine before they were eliminated by the Council of Trent. The compositional style closely resembles that of the Magnificat sections.