Today, we’ll listen to music from Bologna with works from Cazzati, Colonna and Perti.
The Basilica of San Petronio – named after Saint Petronius, the bishop of Bologna in the 5th century and patron saint of the city – formed the heart of musical life during the baroque period. The most important function in the city was that of the maestro di cappella of the Basilica. Today, we listen to music from three composers who carried that title.
The first one is Maurizio Cazzati; he left a substantial oeuvre which he published mainly by himself. He started as maestro di cappella in 1657 but soon fell victim to a fierce debate about an alleged mistake in one of his compositions. He couldn’t take it any more in the end and packed his bags in 1671.
His successor three years later was Giovanni Paolo Colonna, who trained as an organ builder like his father. After studying with Giacomo Carissimi and Orazio Benevoli in Rome, he returned and started as second organist until he became maestro di cappella in 1674.
He died in 1695 and Giacomo Antonio Perti took up the position a year later, who stayed on until his death in 1756. He was very popular as a teacher, his students including Torelli, Manfredini and ‘padre’ Martini.
Maurizio Cazzati (1616-1678)
1. Magnificat a 5
Voces Suaves conducted by Francesco Saverio Pedrini
(CD: “From Bologna to Beromünster” – Claves 50-1605, 2016)
Giovanni Paolo Colonna (1637-1695)
2. Messa a 5 concertato in E minor
Elizaveta Sveshnikova, Mariana Flores, soprano. Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian, countertenor. Valerio Contaldo, tenor. André Morsch, bass. Choeur de Chambre de Namur, Cappella Mediterranea conducted by Leonardo García Alarcón
(CD: “Colonna, Messa Concertata – Handel, Dixit Dominus” – Ricercar RIC 470, 2025)
Giacomo Antonio Perti (1661-1756)
3. Magnificat a 4
Coro ‘Color Temporis’, Orchestra Barocca di Bologna conducted by Paolo Faldi
(CD: “Messa, Salmi, Sinfonie e Magnificat” – Tactus TC 661602, 2007)
In addition:
Giacomo Antonio Perti
4. From Messa a 12: Sinfonia
Orchestra of the Cappella Musicale di San Petronio conducted by Michele Vannelli
(CD: “G.A. Perti in S. Petronio” – Dynamic CDS 707, 2011)
Image: basilica di San Petronio, Bologna
