Cavazzoni, Marco Antonio (EN)

Cavazzoni, Marco Antonio, Marcantonio da Bologna also known as d’Urbino, *1490 Bologna, †ca. 1570 Venice, Italian composer and organist He lived first in Bologna, then at the court of Cardinal Pietro Bembo in Urbino, from 1511 to 1517 and from 1522 to 1524 at the court of the patrician Francesco Cornaro in Venice, and from 1520 to 1521 in the service of Pope Leo X in Rome. Around 1523 or 1525, he worked as an organist at the court of Cardinal Pietro Bemba in Padua. He probably resided permanently in Venice from 1528; in 1545, 1558 and 1559, his name appears among the singers of St Mark’s Cathedral. Some sources state that in 1536–37 Cavazzoni also served as organist in Chioggia.

Cavazzoni is one of the pioneers of independent organ music. His most important works are the ricercares, which belong to the genre of non-imitative works, in which he employed the technique of the evolutionary development of phrases with chordal figuration. Composers of organ toccatas in the second half of the 16th century drew upon this model. In his organ arrangements, Cavazzoni also uses, despite the limitations imposed by the characteristic construction of Italian instruments (one manual and a limited range of timbres), the possibilities of polyphonic organ playing and the technique of dialogue, placing the emphasis on the sound and variety of the piece’s texture rather than on strict adherence to the prevailing rules of counterpoint.

Literature: M. Picker A Josquin Parody by M.A. Cavazzoni, “Tijdschrift van de Vereniging voor Nederlandse Muzieksechiedenis” XXII, 1972 No. 3; P.E. Carapezza La musica per strumenti da tasto nell’ambiente di Giorgione. A. Antico e Marcantonio di Bologna, in: Giorgione e la cultura veneta tra ’400 e 500. Mito, allegoria, analisi iconologica, ed. M. Calvesi, Rome 1981.