Colista, Lelio (EN)

Colista, Calista, Costa, Lelio, *13 January 1629 Rome, †13 October 1680 Rome, Italian lutenist, guitarist and composer. He worked continuously in Rome, where he remained in papal service from 1656. He also worked as a lutenist in Roman churches: in 1658–59 and 1673–75 at S. Luigi dei Francesi; from 1660 to 1680 at the Oratory of S. Marcello, where he also served as choirmaster in 1661 and 1667; and at the church of S. Giovanni dei Fiorentini. In 1664, he accompanied the papal legate to France. In the last years of his life, he also remained in the service of the pope’s nephew, Livio Odeschalchi.

It is believed that Colista’s three-part sonatas anticipated the work of A. Corelli and became a model for H. Purcell. Colista’s oratorio and cantata works are characterised by expressive melodies, typical of the second half of the 17th century. Colista had many students in Rome, including the famous Spanish guitarist G. Sanz.

Literature: H. Wessely-Kropik Lelio Colista, ein römischer Meister vor Corelli. Leben und Umwelt, Vienna 1961 ((with a catalogue of Colista’s works, but lacking musical incipits); P. Allsop Problems of Ascription in the Roman Simfonia of the Late Seventeenth Century. Colista and Lonati, “The Music Review” L, 1989; W. Apel Italian Violin Music in the 17th Century, Bloomington (Indiana) 1990; N. Zaslaw The Italian violin school in the 17th century, “Early Music” XVIII (1990); E. McCrickard The repertory for violin before the time of Corelli, “Early Music” XVIII (1990); P. Allsop The Italian “Trio” Sonata. From Its Origins until Corelli, Oxford 1992; H. Wessely-Kropik Ergänzungen zur Biographie von Lelio Colista (1629–1680), “Studien zur Musikwissenschaft” XLII, 1993; A. D’Ovidio Sonate a tre pre-corelliane: Le fonti manoscritte di Lelio Colista, “Arte, musica e spettacolo” II (2001); A. D’Ovidio Colista, Lonati, Stradella: Modelli compositivi della sonata a tre a Roma prima di Corelli in: Arcangelo Corelli fra mito e realtà storica, ed. G. Barnett, A. D’Ovidio, S. La Via, Florence 2007; A. D’Ovidio Colista or Corelli? A “waiting room” for the trio sonata Ahn. 16, “Philomusica on-line”, XVII (2017).