Sperindio Bertoldo

Sperindio Bertoldo (also known as Sperindio Bertoldi or Sper'in Dio Bertoldo) was born around 1530 in Modena and died on August 15, 1570, in Padua. A significant figure in the Renaissance musical landscape, he spent much of his career at the Padua Cathedral, where he was appointed organist on January 1, 1552. His reputation grew steadily, leading to a ten-year contract with an increased salary in 1557.

In 1567, although his contract was renewed for another 16 years, Bertoldo was briefly suspended for insubordination. While the exact nature of the conflict remains unclear, it was deemed serious enough for his employers to seek a replacement. However, he was reinstated in August of that same year, likely due to his exceptional talent on the keyboard. Following his death in 1570, the Cathedral council continued to support his family by transferring his salary to his wife and children.

Bertoldo’s extant compositions include both vocal and instrumental works. During his lifetime, he published two books of madrigals: Il primo libro di Madrigali a 5 voci (1561) and Il secondo libro di Madrigali a 5 voci (1562). Curiously, the dedication pages refer to these as parts two and three, though no record of a first volume has ever been found. His vocal output also includes the piece "Chie val cu la candari."

His organ music was published posthumously in 1591 by Giacomo Vincenti in two volumes: Canzoni francese intavolate per sonar d’organo and Tocate, Ricercari et Canzoni francese. These works position Bertoldo as a stylistic link between the earlier generation of Marco Antonio and Girolamo Cavazzoni and later Venetian masters like Andrea Gabrieli and Claudio Merulo. Unlike the elaborate Venetian style, Bertoldo’s toccatas are notably brief and chordal, with limited use of diminution and only sporadic imitative interjections.

His Canzoni francese largely consist of intabulations of vocal works by composers such as Thomas Crecquillon, Clément Janequin, and Jacob Clemens non Papa. His ricercars are generally small-scale and built on single subjects, with the exception of the Ricercar del Terzo Tuono. This specific piece was later revealed to be a shortened intabulation of a work by Annibale Padovano, a fact noted by a contemporary hand in a surviving copy of the music held in Basel.

Connections

This figure has 1 connection in the Music Lineage catalog.