A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Nanini, Giovanni Maria
NANINI, Giovanni Maria, elder brother of the preceding, was also a native of Vallerano, where he is believed to have been born, about 1540. In early youth he studied Counterpoint, at Rome, under Claude Goudimel, in whose Music School he and Palestrina are said to have been, for a time, [1]fellow-students. His education completed, he returned to his birth-place, as Maestro di Cappella: but when, in consequence of Palestrina's acceptance of office at the Vatican Basilica, it became necessary, in 1571, to elect a new Maestro di Cappella for the Basilica Liberiana (S. Maria Maggiore), he was invited to Rome, as the fittest person upon whom the vacant preferment could be bestowed; and he continued to hold the appointment, until 1575, when he resigned it in favour of Ippolito Tartaglini.
Finding his talents now fairly appreciated, Giov. Maria established a public Music School—the first ever opened in Rome by an Italian in the management of which he was assisted by his brother, Giov. Bernadino, as well as by Palestrina himself, who constantly gave instruction to the pupils, and took a lively interest in the institution. The School prospered exceedingly; and was frequented by more than one talented youth whose genius afterwards bore abundant fruit. Nanini's reputation as a learned Contrapuntist, and gifted Composer, was secured. His work were received at the Sistine Chapel with marks of special approbation; and on Oct. 37, 1577, he was elected a member of the Pontifical Choir, to which he contributed, during the last 30 years of his life, many valuable compositions. His death took place on March 11, 1607; and his remains were deposited in the Church of S. Luigi de' Francesi.
Nanini was one of the brightest ornaments of the great Roman School, the highest qualities of which he cultivated in a remarkable degree. His Motet, for six Voices—'Hodie nobis coelorum rex'—annually sung, in the Sistine Chapel, on the morning of Christmas Day, is a noble composition; and he has left us many others, of equal merit, a large proportion of which still remain in MS. among the Archives of the Pontifical Choir, the Vatican Basilica, the Collegium Romanum, the Oratory of S. Maria in Vallicella, and other noted collections. P. Martini mentions a MS. collection of Canons, entitled 'Cento cinquanta sette Contrappunti e Canoni à 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, e 11 Voci, sopra del Canto fermo intitolato La Base di Costanzo Festa,' which contains some miracles of ingenuity and learning. Some of these, at least, have already appeared among his published works: but, a dissertation on Counterpoint, called 'Regole di Giov. Maria e di Bernardino Nanini, per fare contrappunto a mente sopra il Canto fermo,' written, conjointly, by himself, and his younger brother, exists only in a MS. copy—unhappily, imperfect—transcribed by Orazio Griffi, and preserved in the Library of the Palazzo Corsini alla Lungara.
The published works of Nanini comprise a volume of 'Motetti, à 3 voci' (Venice, 1578); 'Motetti, à 5 voci' (1578); 'Madrigali,' Lib. I. (1578); Idem, Lib. II. (1580, 1582, 1587, 1605); Id., Lib. III. (1584); Id., Lib. IV. (1586); 'Canzonetti, a 3 voci' (1587), all published, at Venice, in 4to, by Gardano; some 'Salmi, a 8 voci,' printed in the well-known collection of Fabio Costantini (Napoli, 1615); and a number of Motets, Madrigals, and other isolated works, included in Costantini's 'Motetti,' Waelrant's 'Symphonia Angelica,' and other collections published in Italy, and by P. Phalèse of Antwerp. Some very fine Motets—including a masterly 'Hodie Christus natus est,' in which the characteristic Noè! Noè! is introduced with great effect—will be found in Proske's 'Musica Divina.' [See Noël.] Others are given in the collections of the Prince de la Moskowa, Rochlitz, etc.- ↑ This, at least, is the generally-received tradition. But, assuming 1540 as the correct date of G. M. Nanini's birth, he was Palestrlna's junior by 16 years: and this difference of age is considered, both by Ambros and Proske, to Justify the belief that the two Composers did not study under Goudimel at the same time.