Space and Sound in Late-Seventeenth Century Rome

This event is part of the series
Viva Voce

Space and Sound in Late-Seventeenth Century Rome

A lecture by
Luca Della Libera
Licinio Refice Conservatory, Frosinone

In ENGLISH

The relationship between compositional choices and the spaces in which certain repertoires were performed remains an area in need of further investigation. This study begins with a comparison between two projects: one conducted between 2010 and 2018 on the repertoire performed in Francesco Borromini’s masterpiece, the Church of Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza, and another focusing on the Pauline Chapel in Santa Maria Maggiore, one of the most significant sacred spaces of Counter-Reformation Rome. Archival documents from the State Archives of Rome reveal the vocal and instrumental ensembles present in 1661 for the feast of the dedication of Sant’Ivo on March 19. On that occasion, the three-choir mass Ecce sacerdos magnus by Orazio Benevoli was most likely performed. As demonstrated in a 2018 concert, where the three choirs were positioned within the church’s three choir lofts, the composition aligns seamlessly with Borromini’s architectural design. In contrast, Alessandro Melani’s repertoire, performed in the Pauline Chapel, reflects a different spatial dynamic. Here, the much closer placement of the two choirs above the altar corresponds precisely with Melani’s compositional approach, particularly in his treatment of the choirs and his highly advanced harmonic language.

Luca Della Libera completed his music studies in Rome, where he graduated in flute at the Conservatory of Santa Cecilia and in history of music at the University La Sapienza. He obtained his PhD from the University of Rome Tor Vergata and the University of Mainz with a dissertation on Alessandro Scarlatti’s sacred music, then reworked into the monograph La musica sacra romana di Alessandro Scarlatti (Merseburger, 2018; English translation: The Roman Sacred Music of Alessandro Scarlatti, Routledge, 2022). He is tenured professor of History of Music in the Conservatory of Frosinone and music critic for “Il Messaggero”. His main field of research is the music of Baroque Rome. He published articles in Nuova Rivista Musicale Italiana, Rivista italiana di musicologia, Recercare, Studi musicali, Acta Musicologica, Analecta Musicologica, Die Tonkunst. Alongside numerous critical editions of Alessandro Scarlatti’s sacred music, he published the critical edition of L’empio punito by Alessandro Melani (A-R Editions, 2022). He collaborates with performers specialized in baroque music (Rinaldo Alessandrini and Concerto Italiano, Fabio Biondi and Europa Galante, the violinist Enrico Gatti, Paolo da Col and ensemble Odhecaton). He has given lectures at European and American universities, including Princeton, Harvard, Stanford, Paris, Lisbon, Berlin, among others.

This event is co-sponsored by NYU’s Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò, Department of Italian Studies, and MARC-Medieval and Renaissance Center.

Organized by Prof. Eugenio Refini, Viva Voce is a series of events – conversations, talks, book discussions – that address the intersections of voice, performance and the mechanisms of reception. Featuring specialists from different fields, these interdisciplinary events aim to bridge across research, teaching, and public outreach.