Benedetto Giacomo Marcello (1686 – 1739) was an
Italian composer, writer, advocate, magistrate, and
teacher. Born in Venice, Benedetto Marcello was a
member of a noble family and his compositions are
frequently referred to as Patrizio Veneto. Although he
was a music student of Antonio Lotti and Francesco
Gasparini, his father wanted Benedetto to devote
himself to law. Benedetto managed to combine a life in
law and public service with one in music. In 1711 he
was appointed a member of the Counc...(+)
Benedetto Giacomo Marcello (1686 – 1739) was an
Italian composer, writer, advocate, magistrate, and
teacher. Born in Venice, Benedetto Marcello was a
member of a noble family and his compositions are
frequently referred to as Patrizio Veneto. Although he
was a music student of Antonio Lotti and Francesco
Gasparini, his father wanted Benedetto to devote
himself to law. Benedetto managed to combine a life in
law and public service with one in music. In 1711 he
was appointed a member of the Council of Forty (in
Venice's central government), and in 1730 he went to
Pola as Provveditore (district governor). Due to his
health having been "impaired by the climate" of Istria,
Marcello retired after eight years to Brescia in the
capacity of Camerlengo where he died of tuberculosis in
1739.
Benedetto Marcello was the brother of Alessandro
Marcello, also a notable composer. On 20 May 1728
Benedetto Marcello married his singing student Rosanna
Scalfi in a secret ceremony. However, as a nobleman his
marriage to a commoner was unlawful and after
Marcello's death the marriage was declared null by the
state. Rosanna was unable to inherit his estate, and
filed suit in 1742 against Benedetto's brother
Alessandro Marcello, seeking financial support.
Marcello composed a variety of music including
considerable church music, oratorios, hundreds of solo
cantatas, duets, sonatas, concertos and sinfonias.
Marcello was a younger contemporary of Antonio Vivaldi
in Venice and his instrumental music enjoys a Vivaldian
flavor.
As a composer, Marcello was best known in his lifetime
and is now still best remembered for his Estro
poetico-armonico (Venice, 1724–1727), a musical
setting for voices, figured bass (a continuo notation),
and occasional solo instruments, of the first fifty
Psalms, as paraphrased in Italian by his friend G.
Giustiniani. They were much admired by Charles Avison,
who with John Garth brought out an edition with English
words (London, 1757).
The Flute Sonata (Opus 2 No. 1) was originally written
for Recorder and Basso Continuo however, I created this
arrangement of the Allegro (Mvt. 4) for Woodwind Trio
(Flute, Oboe, & Bassoon).
PARTITION