Giuseppe Tartini - Lettere e documenti / Pisma in dokumenti / Letters and Documents - Volume / Knjiga / Volume I

87 INTRODUCTION unless he should deem them solid enough, for fear that the “ maestri ” may come to con- sider him a man conceited and rash enough to wish to challenge the commonly accepted principles of the discipline. It may have been the Franciscan’s relatively young age that made Tartini consider him to be a confidant with whom he could share his thoughts without anxiety. The desire for a discussion on the subject of music theory must have been the foundation of the long epistolary relationship, which perhaps followed a meet- ing between the two that had taken place in Bologna before 1730. Among the undated letters from Bologna, there is also one from Martini that un- doubtedly dates back to those same years. 114 In it five “objections” are submitted to Tartini, corresponding to those that Tartini himself tried to clarify in his letter of 1730. Martini refers to a discussion on Tartini’s theories that he has had with a group of famous musicians: the aforementioned Giacomo Perti, Giuseppe Alberti, 115 Padre Giacinto Rossi, 116 and Padre Ferdinando Antonio Lazari. 117 Martini was not the only authority with whom Tartini wished to discuss his system , as in Padua there was no lack of theorists and musicians interested in the new theories. Over the course of the 18th century the Paduan musical chapel assumed considerable importance, for Francescantonio Calegari, 118 F. A. Vallotti and Giordano Riccati worked there. Calegari, for example, anticipated Jean Philippe Rameau in the formulation of the founding concepts of harmony as it is understood today. Unlike Rameau, however, the Paduan theorists did not rush to share their discoveries in printed works. 119 It was acter. Similar remarks are frequent in the following letters, especially when he interacts with men of science. 114 I-Bc, S5242. It is actually one of the few copies of letters by Martini included in the immense corre- spondence. It is an important document given that the copy, certainly requested by Martini, shows a desire to preserve the content, which was therefore deemed significant. Comparison with the content of Tartini’s letter of 1730 make it plausible to consider this one to be slightly earlier. 115 Alberti, Giuseppe Matteo (1685-1751) was a violinist and composer, a member of the Accademia Filarmonica of Bologna. From 1709 he was violinist at the basilica of S. Petronio and later, from 1726, maestro di cappella at S. Giovanni in Monte in the same city. See A. D’Addario, “Alberti, Giuseppe Matteo”, in Dbi. 116 On this man of religion, probably from Bologna, I have found no information. 117 Lazzari (Lazari), Ferdinando Antonio (born Lazzaro Maria) (1678-1754). According to Padre Martini, he studied organ with G. B. Vastamigli, violin with D. Gabrielli and counterpoint with G. P. Colonna and P. Degli Antoni. He was attached to the convent of S. Francesco d’Assisi, where he special- ised in musical studies and held the positions of second and first organist. In 1702, shortly after returning to Bologna, he was appointed maestro di cappella at S. Francesco; he held the position until 19 December 1705, when he applied to serve at the church of S. Maria Gloriosa dei Frari in Venice. See E. Pasquini, “Lazzari, Ferdinando Antonio”, in Dbi. 118 See Barbieri, 1990: pp. 199-221. 119 Of Vallotti’s work, Della scienza teorica e pratica della moderna musica (Padova 1779), which was initially to be four books, only the first book was published, dedicated to the scientific foundations of music. D. M. Federici, Sopra la vita e gli studii del Conte Giordano Riccati , Coletti, Venezia 1790, p. 11: “[Giordano Riccati] knew, and from 1735 [...] with letters of his [...] urged Vallotti to give us a work that when completed would satisfy the public [...] Vallotti accepted the noble project, but turned his hand to it