Background
Cavalli was born on February 14, 1602 in Crema, the son of Gian Battista Caletti-Bruni, director of the carthedral choir.
Cavalli was born on February 14, 1602 in Crema, the son of Gian Battista Caletti-Bruni, director of the carthedral choir.
Cavalli’s first published work appeared in 1625, which was a solo motet named ‘Cantate Domino’. Cavalli was greatly influenced by Monteverdi, who was hailed as the best composer of that time. Most of Cavalli’s works behold the influence of Monteverdi and were equally melodious, pleasant and emotionally powerful. After Monteverdi’s death, Cavalli succeeded him in the music arena and became even more famous as a composer.
Cavalli was appointed as second organist at the St. Mark’s, in 1639 and later, in 1665, he became first organist. Three years later, in 1668, he was made the maestro di cappella. Though, he achieved considerable success in theatre, Cavalli also made great contributions to St. Mark’s in his capacity as maestro di cappella. Most of his compositions consist of small number of voices accompanied by organ, turning them into notable pieces which were marked for their subtle word-painting. ‘The Marriage of Thetis and Peleus’ (Le nozze di Teti e di Peleo) was Cavalli’s first opera and also the first ever of his works to be performed at the Teatro S. Cassiano. Some of his other operas, mainly ‘Egisto’ (1643), were staged abroad in Paris and Vienna. He was chiefly known for his operas and earned a reputation of being a grand composer, which led him all the way to Paris in 1660.
The key to Cavalli’s success and popularity was his good dramatic sense which blended seamlessly with his talent of writing memorable arias. In 1660, he was invited for the wedding of Louis XIV and Maria Theresa of Spain, where he was asked to perform his opera. Since the organizers had not made the necessary arrangements, the theater wasn’t ready and this caused innumerable delays and political intrigues. Cavalli was distressed because of this and he vowed not to produce any more dramatic works. However, Cavalli broke his promise later and composed several operas that were based on the quasi-historical themes, followed by the late Baroque style. Cavalli’s contribution as a church composer was highly appreciated. His sacred works were mostly published in two major volumes, viz. , ‘The Musiche sacre’, published in 1656, and ‘the Vesperi’, published in 1675. These collections widely express the different ranges and styles, incorporated with the compositions at St. Mark’s. During this time, he also released a Requiem, which he insisted on being sung twice a year after his death. By this time, Cavalli had already grown as an influential composer in Venice.
The most noted among Cavalli’s works was ‘Giasone’, which was composed in 1649. This proved to be a perfect example of the unambiguous division between recitative and aria. Compared to the works of Monteverdi, Cavalli’s works were considered more developed. However, the sacred works of Cavalli and Monteverdi are quite similar and can easily be mistaken as created by the same composer. The conservative nature of Cavalli led to the establishment of a new musical tradition at St. Mark’s, which was previously influenced by Gabrieli and Monteverdi.
In his lifetime, Cavalli gained immense popularity, especially in the field of operas. His reputation and respect grew to the extent that, he was summoned to Paris to present an opera at the grand wedding of Louis XIV. Most of his operas still exist and lay preserved in libraries. Didone (1641), L'Ormindo (1644), Egisto (1646), and L'Erismena (1655) are considered to be his most prominent works and require a special mention.
In 1630, Cavalli’s financial situation improved after he married a wealthy widow.
