The Delightful Villanelle

The composer Ghinolfo Dattari was born and died in Bologna. He was employed as singer in the choir of S. Petronio in Bologna from 1555 to 1617. At the death of Andrea Rota in 1597, he was appointed as substitute maestro di capella, but two years later, when Pompilio Pisanelli was named maestro di capella, Dattari returned to his original post as singer. His published compositions consist of 34 Canzoni villanesche a quattro voci (Milan, 1564) and 30 Villanelle a tre, a quattro e a cinque voci (Venice, 1568). The delightful villanelle in this latter print, are variously pleasant, mournful and poetic, and are composed in popular balata style. The collection is dedicated to the Bolognese nobleman Count Giulio Pepoli, but each to the thirty pieces is also individually addressed to various noble “Most Magnificent and Illustrious” ladies and gentlemen of Bologna.

Bologna, during the 1560s, enjoyed one of its richest periods. In this second city of the Papal State, “a city which was rich, fat and civil”, feasts, tournaments, spectacles in private villas and theatrical performances followed closely one after the other. The villanelle, by its very nature of simplicity, intentionally arousing facile emotions – both melancholic and cheerful – was seemingly the perfectattire for the festive occasions. The theatrical or dramatic elements contained therein are readily perceptible to both the performer and the listener and viewer. The irony of ‘La carta o Togna’, the amusing exaggeration of ‘Io vidi un gran miracolo”, the solemn atmosphere of ‘Ahi dolce sonno’, the amorous reproach of ‘Amore l’altro giorno’, and the dolorous and weary words at the end of ‘Mentre ch’io miro’, are a few of the emotional component employed by Ghinolfo Dattari to achieve ‘perfection in delight’.

Roberto Cascio