Pitoni, Giuseppe Ottavio

Pitoni, Giuseppe Ottavio , Italian teacher, writer on music, and composer; b. Rieti, March 18, 1657; d. Rome, Feb. 1, 1743. He began music studies at 5, under Pompeo Natali in Rome. At 8 he was chorister at S. Giovanni de’ Fiorentini, later at the Ss. Apostoli, and studied counterpoint under Foggia. In 1673–74 he was maestro di cappella at Monterotondo, from 1674 to 1676 at Assisi Cathedral, in 1676–77 at Rieti Cathedral, and, finally, in 1677, he became maestro at the collegiate church of S. Marco in Rome, retaining this post until death, though simultaneously engaged at S. Apollinare, S. Lorenzo in Damaso (1694–1721), S. Giovanni in Laterano (1708–19), and St. Peter’s (1719); also in some minor Roman churches. He was an excellent teacher, and taught after the same method by which he himself rose to eminence as a composer, e.g., the writing out in score of Palestrina’s works to study his style. Durante, Leo, and Feo were his greatest pupils. As a composer, he cultivated a distinct feature of the Roman school, the writing in many parts.

Works

Some 270 masses and Mass parts; more than 200 introits; over 230 graduais; about 800 Psalms; some 650 antiphons; about 250 hymns; around 235 motets; approximately 220 canticles; only a motet for 2 Voices (Rome, 1697) was publ. during his lifetime.

Bibliography

S. Gmeinwieser, G.O. P.: Thematisches Werkverzeichnis (Wilhelmshaven, 1976).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire