Honoring God And The City: Music At The Venetian Confraternit

This is the first detailed history of musical activities at Venetian lay confraternities. Based on over two decades of research in Venetian archives, the book traces musical practices from the origins of the earliest confraternities in the mid-thirteenth century through their suppression under the French and Austrian governments of Venice in the early nineteenth century. The first section of the book treats the scuole grandi, the largest and most important of the Venetian confraternities, and the only ones to maintain musical establishments for long periods. The second portion of the book is concerned with the scuole piccole, the numerous less-important confraternities, sometimes as many as 300 of which were active simultaneously, located in churches throughout Venice. Appendices include an attempt to reconstruct a calendar of musical events at all Venetian confraternities in the early eighteenth century, demonstrating the vital role they played in the cultural and ceremonial life of this great city. Review: In its time frame and documentation, this is the most comprehensive study of confraternal music yet produced ... an indispensable reference work. The Catholic Historical Review [Glixon's] study contributes significantly to our understanding not only of the urban contexts of musical performances but of confraternities as well as urban and religious history more generally. American Historical Review This book will be a valuable source for musicologists. Choice Table of Contents: PART I: THE SCOLE GRANDI; 1. For the Honor of God: The Origin and Nature of the Scoli Grandi; 2. Gathering Together: Ritual and Ceremony at the Scoli Grandi; 3. Singing for the Souls of Brothers: Musical Beginnings to the early 15th century; 4. Singing Praises to the Lord: The Early Use of Professional Musicians, 1445-1500; 5. The Best in the City: Salaried Musicians; 6. So Super-excellent: Music for the Annual Festa; 7. Only a few appear and often none: The Scole in decline, 1650-1807; PART II: THE SCOLE PICCOLE; 8. Processions, vespers, songs, and organ: The Scole Piccole and Music to 1600; 9. An honorable and necessary work: The Scole Piccole in the 17th century; 10. With jubliant voices; The Final Century of Music at the Scole Piccole, 1700-1807; Conclusions; Appendix I: Processions and Ceremonies of the Scole Grandi; Appendix II: A Calendar of Religious Occasions Celebrated by the Scole; Appendix III: Musicians for the Festa di San Rocco, 1595-1634; Appendix IV: The Venetian Monetary System