A Critical Edition of Arie, scherzi e madrigali a una e due voci by Giovanni Pietro Bucchianti (1608-1627)

This dissertation provides the contextualising information of my performance edition of Arie, scherzi e madrigali a una e due voce (1627) by Giovanni Pietro Bucchianti (c.1608-c.1627). This is the only published work by Bucchianti, a student of Antonio Brunelli (1577-1630), who is thought to have died shortly after its publication at the self-described age of ‘not yet eighteen’. The collection comprises of 27 secular songs and a large written introduction comprising of acknowledgements, a letter to the reader and a pair of dedicatory poems. Through a detailed close-reading of the text and an exploration of contextualising sources, I place this collection of Italian secular song within the context of its creation, with discussions ranging from the Medici court of Maria Maddalena d’Austria, the collection’s patron, to Bucchianti’s association with the Cavalieri di Santo Stefano. I then combine the individual elements of work to create a vivid picture of the life and learning of Bucchianti, viewing the published collection as a demonstration of learnt skill and an application for further employment within the courts. The editorial policy, critical commentary, translations and my edition of Arie, scherzi e madrigali are included as appendices 1 – 4.