Bassano (family of musicians)
The Bassano family of musicians , who worked in the court orchestra of Henry VIII from the middle of the 16th century and determined the Italian influence on music in England for a long time, consisted in the first generation of the sons of Jeronimo Bassano , an Italian instrumentalist and musical instrument maker from Bassano del Grappa in the province of Vicenza . Members of this family were first mentioned in the archives of the Scuola di San Marco as instrumentalists in the court music of the Doge of Venice . They settled in London around 1540 . The brothers were born between 1510 and 1520. Presumably they were Jewish converts who fled the area of influence of the Roman Catholic Church before the Inquisition .
Anthony Bassano
Anthony Bassano continued his father's tradition in England. He was the first of the brothers to advance to London. After negotiating with the King's Venetian agent, he brought his brothers up. He himself had ten children and his five sons - Mark Anthony, Arthur, Edward, Andrea and Jeronimo - were also employed as musicians in Heinrich's court orchestra. His daughter Lucreece married the French musician Nicholas Lanier the Elder , the grandfather of the composer Nicholas Lanier . He died in 1574.
Jacomo Bassano
Jacomo Bassano first followed his brothers to England, where, in addition to his service in the court orchestra, he also worked as an instrument maker and wine importer. After the death of his father he returned home. Presumably he continued his instrument workshop here. He died in Italy in 1566.
Alvise Bassano
Alvise Bassano seems to have traveled to England several times before 1540, one of them in his youth as a bagpiper . He is mentioned in contemporary sources as Alvisy de Blasia , suggesting that he may have worked as a musician in the Venetian church of San Biasio. In 1528 he returned to Venice. On the basis of the documents received about him it can be proven that he and the brothers Jasper, John and Anthony had already been in the service of the king from 1531 to 1536. Alvise died in England in 1554. At least two of his descendants, his daughter Augustine and his son Lodovico, are recorded as musicians.
Jasper Bassano
Jasper Bassano was one of the brothers who had been in England between 1531 and 1536 and had been employed in the court chapel of Henry VIII. He died in England in 1577.
John Bassano
John Bassano was also among the four who had been in England between 1531 and 1536. He died there in 1570.
Baptista Bassano
Baptista Bassano first traveled to England around 1537, a year after his four brothers returned to Italy. He and Margaret Johnson, with whom he does not appear to have been married, had the daughter Emilia Baptista, who later became the lover of William Shakespeare and the mother of the flautist Henry Lanier. He died in England in 1570.
literature
- David Lasocki: The Bassanos: Venetian Musicians and Instrument Makers in England, 1531-1665 , Routledge, New edition edition, 1995, ISBN 0-8596-7943-8