Antonius de Civitate Austrie (EN)

Antonius de Civitate Austrie, Antonio da Cividale, dates of birth and death unknown, Italian composer active in the early 15th century. He was a Dominican friar; referred to in manuscripts as “Father” (“Fr.,” “Frater”). It is possible that he was the same person as Antonius “de Civitato”, who entered the monastery of San Domenico in Venice in 1392. Between 1397 and 1400, he studied in Padua. In 1411, he was recorded (as “Antonio da Cividale”) at the monastery of San Domenico in Cividale del Friuli, where he copied a gradual. In 1414 he moved to Florence; in 1421 he was possibly in Rome.

The works of Antonius de Civitate have been preserved mainly in manuscripts from northern Italy. They show French influences, which are evident in the use of complex notation, isorhythm and the choice of secular music forms (rondos, virelais). The main part of Antonius de Civitate’s oeuvre consists of polytextual motets, which are often works of an occasional character, e.g. O felix flos Florencia / Gaude felix Dominice was written in honour of Florence and Leonardo Dati, elected Master of the Dominican Order on 29 September 1414. The frequent use of imitation and isorhythm brings them closer to the motet type associated with J. Ciconia.

Literature: G. de Van An Inventory of the Manuscript Bologna, Liceo musicale, Q15 (olim 37), “Musica Disciplina” II, 1948; N. Pirrotta and E. Li Gotti Il codice di Lucca, 3 parts., “Musica Disciplina” III–V, 1949–51; G. Reaney The Manuscript Oxford, Bodleian Library, Canonici misc. 213, “Musica Disciplina” IX, 1955; F.A. Gallo Il codice musicale 2216 della Biblioteca universitaria di Bologna, 2 vols., Bologna 1968–70; Th.Ch. Schmidt “Carmina gratulatoria”: humanistische Dichtung in der Staatsmotette des 15. Jahrhunderts, “Archiv für Musikwissenschaft” LI, 1994; M. Bent Early Papal Motets, in: Papal Music and Musicians in Late Medieval and Renaissance Rome, ed. R. Sherr, Oxford 1998; M. Gozzi Osservazioni sulla notazione delle opere di Antonio da Cividale, “Studi musicali” XXXI, 2002; R. Nosow Ritual Meanings in the Fifteenth-Century Motet, Cambridge 2012.