Ercole Pasquini

Ercole Pasquini {"b". Ferrara, "ca". 1560; "d". Rome, 1608-1619)

Italian composer and organist. Ercole Pasquini studied with Alessandro Milleville (1521?-1589). He was described by Agostino Superbi(1620)as a most clever ane excellent musician and organist. "He had a very nimble hand; and simetimes played so splendidly that he enraptured the people and truly amazed them." In the 1580s, Pasquini took over the musical instruction of the daughters of G. B. Aleotti, court architect of Ferrara, from Milleville. On 1 May 1592, Pasquini became the organist of the "ridotti" of Maria Bevilacqua and of the Olivetian church, Santa Maria in Organo, in Verona. While he held these positions, he wrote and published a "favola boscareccia" entitled "I fidi amanti" (Verona, 1593) in anticipation of the wedding of Don Carlo Gesualdo and Eleonora d'Este which took place in Ferrara the following year (1594). Upon the death of Bevilacqua, Pasquini apparently returned Ferrara, where he suceeded Luzzasco Luzzachi as organist of the Accademia della Morte. He was suceeded in this position by Girolamo Frescobaldi.

On 6 October 1597, Pasquini was elected organist to the Capella Giulia at St. Peter's in Rome. During the summer and fall of 1604, he assumed the same position a the Santo Spirito in Saxia, continuing his duties at St. Peter's. Beginning in 1603, there appears some irregularity in his signing for his payment, from the Capella Giulia. Nicolo Pasquini, possibly a son, signed from time to time from September 1603 over the next two years. During the summer of 1605, his payments were signed by the maestro di capella, Francesco Soriano, and in November and December, the attendant of the hospital, where Pasquini was being treated, signed. On 19 May 1608, Pasquini was dismissed for his post for "just causes." In an account by Agostino Faustini in 1646, Pasquini died insane.

About thirty pieces for the keyboard of Ercole Pasguini have been preserved in mauscript copies. No autographs have survived and none were published during his life time. Among the items which has come to us are 6 Toccatas, 2 Durezze, 9 or 10 Canzonas, 5 sets of variations, 3 dances, and an intabulation of Cipriano de Rore's madrigal "Ancor che co'l partire". These works show Pasquini to be a highly original composer, in many respects foreshadowing the keyboard works of his younger co-patriot, Girolamo Frescobaldi. His "Durezze" are the earliest known of their type. Of his vocal works, only five were published during his life time are shortly afterwards. The madrigal "Mentre che la bell'Isse" of 1591, appears as a contrafact motet "Sanctus Sebastianus" in a Passau collection. Two motets, including the impressive ten-voice "Quem viditis pastores?", were included in a publication by his student, Raphaela Aleotti in 1593. A spiritual madrigal "M'empio gli occhi di pianto", text by Angelo Grillo, appeared in 1604, and the final work, published after his death, is "Jesu decus angelicum" for four voices and organ.

Bibliography "Ercole Paquini, Collected Keyboard Works", ed. by W. Richard Shindle; Corpus of Keyboard Music 12 (American Institute of Musicology, 1966)

W. Richard Shindle: "The Vocal Works of Ercole Pasquini", "Frescobaldi Studies", ed. Alexander Silbiger. (Durham, NC, Duke University Press, 1987).

James L. Ladewig: "The Origins of Frescobaldi's Variation Canzonas Reappraised", ed. Alexander Silbiger. (Durham, NC, Duke University Press, 1987).

Anthony Newcomb: "Frescobaldi's Toccatas and Their Stylistic Ancestry", "Proceedings of the Royal Musical Association", cxi (1984-5), p. 28-44.

W. Richard Shindle: "Pasquini, Ercole", "The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians", 2nd, ed., vol. 19 (Macmillian Publishers, 2001)

C. Ann Clement, Massimo Ossi, Thomas W, Bridges: "Introduction" to "Raffaella Aleotti: Sacre Cantiones, Quinque, Septem. Octo, & Decem Vocibus Decantandae", Music at the Courts of Italy 2 , (New York & Willianstown, The Broude Trust, 2006)

W. Richard Shindle