TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN
9th Biennial Conference on Baroque Music
ABSTRACT
Music in the Liturgy of S. Pietro in Vaticano during the Reign of Paul
V (1605-1621): The First Liturgical Diary of Andrea Amico
Noel O'Regan
The basilica of S. Pietro in Vaticano has long enjoyed a unique status
among the churches of Rome and of the Roman Catholic world. Though not
the cathedral of the diocese of Rome, as the basilica closest to the pope’s
major residence since the return from Avignon it formed the major large-scale
public papal liturgical space. It was a collegiate church with a
very full liturgical life, a papal necropolis, the fount of important relics
- particularly those associated with the Passion, a centre of pilgrimage
and the end-point of processions on Rogation days, during Holy Week and
on many special occasions. To service all of this it supported a
staff of nearly 100 canons and beneficed clergy, as well as the members
of the Cappella Giulia.
During the early 17th century one of these beneficed clergy, Andrea
Amico, kept a diary of liturgical and other activities associated with
the basilica; the reign of Paul V saw the destruction of the remnant
of the Constantinian basilica and the completion of the new one, so that
this period was a crucial one in forming ceremonial and custom for the
new basilica. Though mention of music is sporadic, the diary throws
some valuable light on performance practice as well as providing a context
for the music of Francesco Soriano (maestro di cappella 1602-20) and Girolamo
Frescobaldi (organist 1608-1643).
This paper will examine some of the information available in the diary
and what it tells us about the function and performance of plainchant and
polyphony during the first years of the newly-completed basilica.
Last updated on 22 March 2000 by Yo
Tomita