Francesco Mancini

Francesco Mancini (Naples, 1672 – Naples, 1737) was one of the Neapolitan figures who bridged the generation of Alessandro Scarlatti and the spread of Neapolitan opera across Europe. Although he rarely left Naples, apart from occasional trips to Rome, his output helps us understand how archaic and more modern features coexisted in the music of his time.

He entered the Conservatorio di Santa Maria della Pietà dei Turchini in 1688 as an organ student, studying with teachers such as Provenzale and Ursino. After six years he was engaged as an organist and, at the beginning of the eighteenth century, entered the service of the viceroy. In 1704 he became principal organist of the royal chapel. In 1708 he was appointed maestro di cappella, but that same year the post returned to Alessandro Scarlatti, and Mancini became his deputy; in 1718 he obtained a guarantee that he would succeed him. In 1720 he directed the Conservatorio di Santa Maria di Loreto, where he trained a new generation of composers. He finally succeeded Scarlatti in 1725 and held the post until his death. In 1735 he suffered a stroke that left him semi-paralysed for the two remaining years of his life.

His first known composition was the pastoral opera Il nodo sciolto e ligato dall'affetto, written for Rome. From 1702 onwards he worked almost without pause, composing and adapting operas, and his productivity peaked while he was Scarlatti's deputy; after his appointments at Loreto and in the royal chapel, his output declined. He composed serenades, pieces for special occasions and cantatas throughout his life, while his oratorios are concentrated between 1698 and 1708, with some later exceptions, such as his last oratorio, Il zelo animato, probably conceived as an exercise for his Loreto students.

His contribution to sacred music was considerable, and the wide presence of his scores in European libraries reflects the popularity he enjoyed. Instrumental music interested him less; what survives seems intended chiefly for teaching, such as the two toccatas for harpsichord. His sonatas, however, stand out for the rich harmonies that accompany the melody and for the counterpoint of their second movements, which are often almost fugues in the strict sense.

His operas, with a predilection for the pathetic style though not averse to comedy, combine dense counterpoint and a very active bass line with a more precise delineation of the sections of the arias and the use of the harmonic pedal. His orchestration is varied and colourful, and his indications for the bass, sometimes very detailed, are also significant. He was a skilful melodist, capable of balancing word and intonation even in the recitatives.