Simone Molinaro

Simone Molinaro (c. 1570 – May 1636) was a composer of the late Renaissance in Italy. He was especially renowned for his lute music.

Life and career Molinaro was born in Genoa. He studied music with his uncle, Giovanni Battista Dalla Gostena, who was maestro di cappella at Genoa Cathedral. In 1593, Gostena was murdered, and Molinaro succeeded him in his post at the Cathedral in 1599. The same year he published Intavolatura di liuto, containing lute works both by himself and by Gostena. In addition to his lute works, Molinaro composed a large number of sacred choral music, most of which does not survive completely because of missing partbooks. However, some five-voice motets have been preserved in the collections of Hassler and Schadaeus. Molinaro died in May 1636 in Genoa.

Assessment In his dances for lute, according to Eitner, Molinaro "despises all counterpoint, and shows himself as a pure melodist and harmonist, but both in so simple and pretty a way, that they all have something uncommonly attractive". Molinaro wrote at the time when, according to Paul Henry Lang, lute music was reaching its apogee. Along with Giovanni Terzi, Molinaro's lute music introduces "a finished, graceful, and sovereign instrumental style, capable of all shades of expression and of a technique which we usually associate only with the vocal music of the period".

The 1613 publication of the Gesualdo madrigals was ground-breaking because it presented Gesualdo's music in full score as opposed to partbook format.

Molinaro's music was used as the basis for "Balletto detto il Conte Orlando" of the Ancient Airs and Dances Suite No. 1 by Ottorino Respighi.

Works

Lute Intavolatura di liuto libro 1, Venice, 1599

Secular Vocal music Il 1 libro di canzonette a 3 e 4 voci, Venice, 1595 Il 1 libro de Madrigali a 5 voci, Venice, 1599 Il 2 libro delle Canzonette a 3 voci, Venice, 1600 Madrigali a 5 voci, Loano 1615

Sacred Vocal music Motectorum quinis et Missae denis vocibus liber I, Venice, 1597 Il 2 libro de Mottetti a 8 voci, Milan, 1601 Il 1 libro de mottetti a 5 voci, con la partitura per sonar l'organo, Milan, 1604 Il 1 libro de Magnificat a 4 voci, con basso continuato, Milan, 1605 Concerti ecclesiastisi a 2 e a 4 voci...con la sua part. per l'organo, Venice, 1605 Il 3 libro de Mottetti a 5 voci con il basso continuato, Venice, 1609 Fatiche spirituali...libro 1 a 6 voci, Venice, 1610 Fatiche spirituali....libro 2 a 6 voci, Venice, 1610 Concerti a 1 e 2 voci con la part. per l'organo, Milan, 1612 Passio Domini Iesu Christi secundum Matthaeum, Marcum, Lucam, et Ioannem, Loano, 1616