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Francesco Canova da MilanoAn outstanding Italian lutenist of the Renaissance
Date of Birth: 18.08.1497
Country:  France |
Content:
- Francesco da Milano
- Early Life and Career
- Musical Virtuosity
- Venetian Publications and Musical Legacy
- Portraits and Burial
- Later Fame and Attribution Controversy
Francesco da Milano
Francesco da Milano was a renowned Italian lute player and composer of the Renaissance. He is considered one of the greatest European composers of the 16th century.
Early Life and Career
Francesco da Milano was born in Milan (or possibly the nearby town of Monza) around 1497. He traveled to Rome in his youth and was quickly employed as a lutenist in the papal chapel. He served under Popes Leo X, Clement VII, and Paul III, as well as Cardinals Ippolito de' Medici and Alessandro Farnese.
Musical Virtuosity
da Milano gained fame and admiration as a virtuoso performer and composer. His works were performed throughout Europe, and he was known as "Il Divino Francesco" (the divine Francesco), a title shared with Michelangelo Buonarroti.
Venetian Publications and Musical Legacy
Between 1536 and 1548, seven volumes of da Milano's lute tablatures were published in Venice. Over 120 of his musical works have survived, including 41 fantasies, 60 ricercars, a toccata, and lute arrangements of chant melodies.
Portraits and Burial
Two portraits believed to depict Francesco da Milano have been preserved. One, attributed to an unknown artist, is housed in the Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan. The other, possibly by Giulio Campi, is located in the Pinacoteca Civica in Como.
Later Fame and Attribution Controversy
Francesco da Milano is widely recognized as one of the finest composers of lute music and perhaps the greatest lutenist of all time. His works continue to be performed and appreciated in modern times. In 1970s Soviet Union, da Milano gained renewed fame when a record entitled "Lute Music of the 16th - 17th Centuries" included a so-called "Canzona and Dance" attributed to him. However, it was later revealed that this composition was not written by da Milano and may have been composed by Vladimir Vavilov.
