Antonio Masini (c. 1639 – 20 September 1678) was an Italian composer and conductor. During the last years of his life in Rome he was the Kapellmeister of the Cappela Giulia in Rome and furthermore the chamber musician of the former Queen of Sweden Kristina during her stay in Rome. Marko Deisinger (University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, AT); Musikbezogene Quellen aus der Korrespondenz zwischen Rom und dem Wiener Kaiserhof. Neues zu Antimo Liberati, Alessandro Stradella und anderen italienischen Musikern und Musikerinnen des Barock, Musicologica Brunensia 53 / 2018 / Supplementum; , über: https://digilib.phil.muni.cz/bitstream/handle/11222.digilib/140862/1_MusicologicaBrunensia_53-2018-3_4.pdf?sequence=1
Biography Antonio Masini was born in Florence in . During the years 1663 and 1664 his presence in Lucca and Ferrara is known. His opera L’Eumene (now lost) was staged in Ferrara in 1666. In accordance with a report he already had been in Rome in 1671. A request to pay a surgeon's bill is documented for the intended castration of a boy called Paolo Nanini in order to maintain his voice.Arch. di Stato di Roma, Trenta notai capitolini, Uff. 15, vol. 260, cc. 582 s., 594 s. In initially worked in Rome as a chamber musician in service to Christina, Queen of Sweden; and continued to do so while working as a church musician.
On 1 May 1674 Masini was named maestro di capella of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican; a post which he maintained until his death. He concurrently served as maestro di capella of the Confraternita della S. Casa di Loreto dei Marchigiani associated with the San Salvatore in Lauro. In recognition of the Holy Year of 1675 eight of his oratorios were performed at the oratory of the in Rome; including La morte di Saul, Ieft, Sacrifizio d’Abram, S Eustachio, S Dorotea, Sommersione di Faraone, Sposalizio di Salomone, and Tobia. These works demonstrate some of the earliest implementation of the concerto grosso form.
In February of 1678 he performed a play in the presence of several cardinals and his employer Christina, Queen of Sweden. This so called Comedia di Antonio Masini took place in the Casa di Monsù Ridò a Monte Brianzo. Scholars believe this could have been the opera Il Narciso.3. Korrespondenz 61Rom, 12. Februar 1678 aus: Marko Deisinger / [email protected] of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, AT; Musikbezogene Quellen aus der Korrespondenz zwischen Rom und dem Wiener Kaiserhof. Neues zu Antimo Liberati, Alessandro Stradella und anderen italienischen Musikern und Musikerinnen des Barock Music-Related Sources from the Correspondence between Rome and the Viennese Court. New Material Concerning Antimo Liberati, Alessandro Stradella and other Italian Musicians from the Baroque Era He died in Rome not long after on September 20, 1678. His post at the St. Peter's Basilica was assumed by Francesco Beretta after his death.Johann Samuel, Ersch, Johann Gottfried Gruber; Allgemeine encyklopädie der wissenschaften und künste in alphabetischer Folge, Italienische Musik, J.F. Gleditsch, 1846 1846 oder 1847, p. 162 According to Baini, his burial place is S. Maria in Posterola.
Works His best known compositions are as follows:
Il giuditio delle stagioni concerto musicale rappresentato nella solennità della Ss.ma Annuntiata, (performed at: scuole di S. Maria Cortelandini, Libretto: B. Beverini; Lucca 1663) L’Eumene (Oper, Libretto: A. Passarelli, performed in Ferrara at: teatro Bonacossi a S. Stefano, 1666) Il Narciso (obviously performed in presence of the former Queen of Sweden in 1678)
Furthermore there exist several oratorios and sacred songs (to be accompanied by Basso continuo) in the libraries of Naples, the Vatican, and in Bologna.
References
Further reading F. D’Accone, Ancora su l’opera prima di Scarlatti e la regina, in Cristina di Svezia e la musica. Atti del convegno internazionale… 1996, Roma 1998, p. 80 HEYINK, Rainer. Fest und Musik als Mittel kaiserlicher Machtpolitik. Das Haus Habsburg und die deutsche Nationalkirche in Rom S. Maria dell’Anima. Tutzing: Schneider, 2010 S. Monaldini, L’orto dell’Esperidi. Musici, attori e artisti nel patrocinio della famiglia Bentivoglio (1646-1685) The New Grove Dict. of music and musicians, XVI, p. 30