Cafiero Rosa Early Rec of Neap Part in France Survey JMT 2007

Yale University Department of Music
The Early Reception of Neapolitan Partimento Theory in France: A Survey

Author(s): Rosa Cafiero
Source: Journal of Music Theory, Vol. 51, No. 1, Partimenti (Spring, 2007), pp. 137-159
Published by: Duke University Press on behalf of the Yale University Department of Music
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The EarlyReception of Neapolitan

PartimentoTheory in France
A Survey
Rosa Cafiero
The traditionof the Neapolitan school of composition (in which the partimentoand its teaching techniques played a significant role) had a major influence on musical training in Paris from the second half of the
eighteenth centurythroughthe first half of the nineteenth century.This article focuses first on some significant
Abstract
witnesses of this era (Fedele Fenaroliand EmanueleImbimbo,who followed the school of FrancescoDurante)and
then on an interpretationof the traditionallynonverbalrules of partimentiproposed by Franois-JosephFtis.
Harmonist: A musician with a deep knowledge of harmony. He s a goodHarmonist.

Durante is the bestHarmonist in Italy, that is, in the World.
- Rousseau, Dictionnairede musique,1768
Neapolitan school or Neapolitan

Some preliminary thoughts
schools?
myths concerning the rise and "flowering"of

a number of HiSTORiOGRAPHic
the Neapolitan school of composition in the eighteenth century have grown
up following two parallel traditions, the first descending from the educational
methods of Francesco Durante (1684-1755) and mostly characterized by "simplicity,"and the second descending from the teaching heritage of Leonardo
Leo (1694-1744) and mainly inspired by "complexity."In his monumental history of the Neapolitan school, Francesco Florimo (1882) tells us how the followers of the two masters (the Durantistiand the Leisti)disagreed profoundly
as far as teaching methods were concerned:
The Leistitook greatpainswithchordalrichness,harmonicprogression,voice
leading,contrapuntalinvention,in sum,with artfulnessand skill ratherthan
focusedmainlyon melody,on clear
withspontaneity.Bycontrastthe Durantisti
harmonic
on
voice leading, on easy modulations,
elegance and on effect,
music
to please, ratherthan to
intendedas the most propermeans to create
Journalof MusicTheory51:1, Spring 2007

DOI 10.1215/00222909-2008-025 2009 byYaleUniversity
1 37
138
JOURNAL of MUSIC THEORY
surprise.The lattermethod,whichtriumphedoverthe former,has givenfame

to the Neapolitanschool.1
By the 1770s the Durantist tradition progressively began to outshine the
Leist one. This became true even in France, as supported by witnesses like
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1768, 243) and, later, Andr-Modest Grtry (1789,
1:81-83, 118).2 At the beginning of the nineteenth century, this preeminent
position was confirmed by Alexandre-Etienne Choron, who published the
opus classicumof Italian keyboard accompaniment methods, the Principes
desEcolesd'Italie(Choron and Fiocchi 1804). This was based
d'accompagnement
primarilyon the Regolemusicaliperi principiantidi cembalo(Christensen 1992,
112; Cafiero 2001a),3 printed in Naples by Fedele Fenaroli (1775), who had
studied with Durante.
Around 1806, when the unified Royal College of Music (located in the
monastery of San Sebastiano) was founded by KingJoseph Bonaparte (Napoleon's brother) from the ashes of the two surviving conservatories (Pieta dei
Turchini and Loreto a Capuana),4an attempt to revive the eighteenth-century
tradition and to establish a new balance between the two schools was made.
All teachers of composition and of partimentiby that time intended as the
basic introduction to harmonic accompaniment- were invited to deposit
in the college library a copy of their manuscript lesson books, in order to
allow students to study directly from firsthand sources. Dozens of manuscripts
(both autographs and copies) were collected, integrating the huge collection that Giuseppe Sigismondo5 and Saverio Mattei had already gathered at
the Piet dei Turchini archive (see Indice 1801). The name of Carlo Cotumacci, a pupil of Alessandro Scarlatti (and, according to Francesco Florimo,
1 The platitude of equating Durante with simplicity and

Leo with complexity was traditionally fixed by Florimo,
who widely emphasized the preeminence of the Durantisti (among whom he numbered himself, as a classmate
of Vincenzo Bellini) against the Leisti (Florimo 1882, 81):
"I Leisti tenevano alia ricchezza degli accordi, aile combinazioni armoniche, agl'intrecci delle parti, aile contronote,
in una parola pi all'artificio ed al magistero che alla spontanit. I Durantistia\ contrario miravano, come a scopo principale, alla melodia, alla chiara disposizione delle voci, all
facili modulazioni, all'eleganza delle armonie ed all'effetto,
come i mezzi pi adatti a comporre musica che dilettasse
pi che sorprendesse. Quest' ultimo sistema, ch' quello
che ha trionfato, ha reso clbre la scuola napolitana." On
the Durantisti-Leisti controversies, see Hansell 1968, esp.
238-40.
2 "Let us assume that Italian compositions are somehow
rude and less varied, depending on the fact that composers have forgotten harmony. This queen of music is wholly
neglected even by Durante's pupils, who knew harmony at a
very high level" ("Convenons ensuite qu'il ya a de la sche-
resse et peu de varit dans les compositions italiennes;

ce dfaut provient encore de l'oubli de l'harmonie. Cette
reine de la musique est trop nglige par les lves mme
de Durante, qui la possdoit un si haut degr"; Grtry
1789,1:118).
3 An English translation of Fenaroli's rules is available in
Gjerdingen 2005. See also Gjerdingen 2007.
4 The conservatory of Santa Maria di Loreto a Capuana was
formed in 1797 when the remaining pupils at the conservatory of Santa Maria di Loreto joined those who studied at
the conservatory of Sant'Onofrio a Capuana; the students
of the former moved to the building of the latter. See Di
Giacomo (1928, 215-17) and Cafiero (2005a, 23-27).
5 The presence of Sigismondo, a deus ex machina in the
reconstruction of the Neapolitan school of composition, at
the conservatory archive is described in correspondence on
the state of music in Naples for the Allgemeine musikalischeZeitungby FranzSales Kandler(1821). See Libby 1988
and Cafiero 1993b.
Rosa Cafiero ~ Partimento Theory in France
139
a second-generationpupil of Durante,as well),6whose role and presence

in Sant'Onofrioa Capuanahad been describedin 1770 by CharlesBurney
(1771, 346-47), candefinitelybe associatedwiththe traditionsof bothDurante
(whomhe succeededin 1755and fromwhomhis methodswidelyderive)and
Leo.As thisand othercasesdemonstrate,the Neapolitantheoreticalenvironment wasthus characterizedby a pluralityof teachingmethodsand preferences. The genealogiesof teachersand pupilsas sketchedin the second half
of the nineteenthcenturybyFrancescoFlorimo(1882,30), the firsthistorian
to attempta full reconstructionof the Neapolitanschoolsand traditions,and
in the firsthalf of the twentiethcenturyby SalvatoreDi Giacomo(1924, 136;
1928)7 actuallyshowa highlycomplexmap of filiationsthat maynot fit into
a simpledichotomy.
Evidenceof Neapolitanteachingtraditionsin Parisbegins to accumulate in the second half of the eighteenthcentury.A numberof treatisesare
publishedby Biferi (1770), FrancescoAzzopardi(1786), Honor-FranoisMarieLangl(1797,1798,1801;self-described"ancienpremierMatre"at the
Pietdei Turchini;listedas Italianin Pierre1900,44), and FloridoTomeoni
(1798, 1800). A sortof osmoticprocessgetsunderwayin Paris,both to obtain
informationaboutItalianteachingmethodsand, in turn,to disseminatethis
didacticparadigmthroughthe volumesprojectedfor the new Conservatoire
(Cafiero1999,425-81). Aspartof thisprocess,EmanueleImbimbo,a pupilof
Sigismondo,printstwo Parisianeditionsof partimentiby Fenaroli(Fenaroli
and Imbimbo1814a,1814b).
Choronsubsequentlyaddsfurtherdocumentationfor a Parisianreconstructionof the Neapolitanschoolsof composition.In 1808he publishesthe
Principes de Compositiondes coles d'Italie, and in 1810 the Dictionnaire historique
whichwasthen translateda coupleof years

desmusiciensmth
FranoisFayolle,8
laterinto Italianby GiuseppeBertini(1814-15).
A huge amountof Neapolitantheoreticalsourceshavesurvivedthanks
to collectorssuch as GaspareSelvaggi9(whosecollectionwassold to the Paris
6 "After Durante's death in 1755, Carlo Contumacci, who

was a former associate of Durante, was named first master" (Sigismondo 1820, 2:114-15); see Cafiero 1993a and
2005b.
9 Selvaggi 1823; see Cafiero 2001a. For further references

to French theorists, see Napoli-Signorelli 1847, esp. 86-96.
For further references to Selvaggi, see Sanguinetti 1999,
esp. 148-56; and Sanguinetti 2005.
7 Di Giacomo conducted detailed archival research; see

also Cafiero 1993a, 1999.
8 "It is in the school of Naples, and particularly in that of
DURANTE,that it [tonality] was fixed in all its relationships,
at least with regard to practice; for with regard to theory, it is
still quite incomplete" ("C'est dans l'cole de Naples, et particulirement dans celle de DURANTE, qu'elle (la tonalit] a
t fix sous tous les rapports, du moins en ce qui concerne
la pratique: car, en ce qui concerne la thorie, elle est encore
trs imparfaite"; Choron and Fayolle 1810, xxxviii).
140
Conservatory10and to the British Library;see Hughes-Hughes (1906-9) and

the already mentioned Sigismondo (whose volumes make up a consistent
corpus at the Conservatorio San Pietro a Majella in Naples; Cafiero 1993b).
Sigismondo helped to fix the basis for a local historiographyof the Neapolitan
school of composition. His monograph Apoteosidellamusica11
(1820; now in the
Berlin Staatsbibliothek)waswidely used by CarloAntonio De Rosa, marquisof
di musicadelRegnodi Napoli (1840) and
Villarosa, in the Memoriedei compositori
used ever since by historians.
of
information
a
amount
rise
to
significant
gave
over
about
assembled
's
collection
was
thirtyyears and includes a
Sigismondo
considerable number of theoretical texts (collections of partimenti, fugues,
and several textbooks or anthologies - of various content and purpose- often
copied by Sigismondo himself), whose histories and genealogies still need to
be investigated.12
Though the complexities in Naples of four conservatories, dozens of
important teachers, and hundreds of student musicians have yet to be fully
unraveled, a simplified version of ^Neapolitan school appears to have been
transmitted to France. That is the focus of this essay.
The Durantist tradition between Naples and Paris: An overview
The partimento, originally conceived as an artistic improvisatoryinstrumental form (Kunstform,Fellerer 1939) more than as a means of harmonic (and
contrapuntal) training in accompaniment (Schulform,Fellerer 1939), helps us
to define a particular mode of transmission for the harmonic rules as established in the Neapolitan tradition. The case of Fedele Fenaroli's rules (and
, first printed
exercises) for harpsichord beginners (peri principiantidi cembalo)
in Naples in 1775, is almost unique, since they survived for more than a century (from the second half of the eighteenth century to the 1880s) through
reprints, annotated editions, and dozens of manuscript copies in Italy and
10 See the notice in the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung,
14/27 (July 1, 1812), cols. 448-49:
Durantes Compositionen sind ziemlich selten. Das
pariser Conservatorium ist im Besitz einer schnen
Sammlung derselben, welche es der Gefalligkeit des
Neapolitaners Selvaggi verdankt. Dieser Dilettant, der
seit 1797 ungefahr sich in Frankreich niedergelassen
hat, besitzt eine Menge der trefflichsten Originalwerke
italienischer Meister, namentlich eine Sammlung wahrscheinlich die vollstandigste, die es gibt- der Compositionen Palestrina's und Durante's. . . . Partimenti
per Cembalo. (Dies sind bezifferte Basse zur Uebung in
der Begleitung. Diese Partimenti werden in ganz Italien
als classisch angesehen.)
Durch bedeutende, mit manchem persnlichen Opfer

verbundene Anstrengungen, und mit Zufhlnahme
des wohlerfahrenen 84jarigen Archivars, D. Giuseppe
Sigismondo, eines Zeitgenossen und Freundes Piccini's, Jomelli's, Caffaro's und Schlers Porpora's, ist es
mir gelungen, eine namhafte Menge auf jene Institute
Bezug habender Notizen und Dokumente zu erhalten,
die seiner Zeit eben so ergiebige als zuverlassige Materialien fur eine ausgefuhrtere Kunstgeschichte darbieten
warden.
See also Shearon 2000.
12 Abbate (2007) points out that a manuscript traditionally
attributed to Sigismondo {Alfabeto musicale, dated 1766) is
a copy of a counterpoint text by Gabellone (or Leo).
11 On the documentary sources used by Sigismondo

while writing the Apoteosi, see Kandler 1821, no. 50, col.
833:
141
France. The presence of Fenaroli as a teacher at the Conservatorio of Santa

Mariadi Loreto a Capuana at the time of the unification of the conservatories
(datable, as far as initial projects are concerned, around 1802), his retirement
as a teacher (1806), and his further recruitment as one of the new three directors of the new Royal College of Music (together with the Durantist Giovanni
Paisiello and the Leist Giacomo Tritto; Cafiero 1993a and Dellaborra 2007)
confirm his role as an important institutional and artistic witness with strong
connections to the "Golden Age" of eighteenth-century Naples. His fear of
losing touch with that tradition may have contributed to his fixing the rules as
close as possible to the "original"model.
The picture tracedin a ratherhagiographiepamphlet published in Naples
soon after Fenaroli's death, Francesco MariaAvellino's Praise(due to be read
at the Academy of Fine Arts of the Bourbon Royal Society, which included
among its members only three musicians: Paisiello, Niccol Zingarelli, and
Fenaroli) gives us a synthetic though detailed overview (Avellino 1818, 15-16,
18-19; see also Grossi 1819, 181):
Let us take into consideration[Fenaroli's]didacticworks,whichmade him a
meritoriousart scholar,emulatingthe gloryand fame of his teacherDurante.
his studyof counterpoint,still unpublished,
Theseworksare some intavolature,
and the rulesof partimenti,alreadyknownto the public.
BeforeFenaroli,none of the highlyreputedmastersof our School had
had the fine idea of methodicallypresentingthe rulesof keyboardaccompanimentandof organizingtheminto a completecourseof style.Contentto dictate
themto theirstudents,theymadethese rulescirculatethrougha kindof tradition, ratherthan througha regularwrittentext. We can attributeto Fenaroli
the meritto havingaccomplishedsucha fine project,and of havingachievedit
with great mastery, composing his MusicalRulesfor HarpsichordBeginners(Regole
which have been reprinted several times,
musicaliper i principiantidel cembalo),13
equippedwitha fine numberof examplescalled partimenti.. . ,14

Evenfromthis shortsurveyof Fenaroli'sworkeveryonecan see whatsort
of classicaland useful workhe has achieved.The workwas at once welcomed
withgeneralpraise.Severalcopiesof Fenaroli'spartimentisoon startedto circulateand wereused by the mostreputedmastersas teachingdevices.In 1814
of Fenaroli'sruleswaspublishedin Naples.Eventhoughhere
the fifth edition15
13 The musical rules, as far as we know from Fenaroli himself in a letter sent to King Ferdinand IV of Bourbon (1802),
were intended to instruct pupils both in figured playing
(sonare numerico) and in counterpoint. In this letter (Naples,
State Archive, fund Ministry of Internal Affairs, II inventory,
bundle 5182, published and described in Cafiero 1993a,
552), Fenaroli asked the king to appoint him director of all
Neapolitan conservatories, after Niccol Piccinni's death.
books in Vincenzo Mazzola-Vocola's printing house, close to

the Church of the Piet de' Torchini at the expense of two
carlini.The book with figured and corrected examples is sold
at the copyists' shop close to the above-mentioned church"
(Fenaroli 1795, 60).
15 "The booklets are sold at no. 78 Mater Dei Street, third
floor, at the house of Maestro Cesare Jannoni" (Fenaroli
1814, A1).
14 Priorto Giuseppe Girard'sedition, the handwritten figured

partimenti were sold separately from the text of the rules; in
the 1795 reprint of the 1775 edition we read: "We sell these
142
in Napleswe still do not have any printedpartimenti16

(since the practiceof
music
is
still
a
fine
edition
was
not
engraving
printedin Parisby
verypopular),
Mr.Carli.17
Wewill not forgetthat the most respectedMr.Chorontook profit
of our distinguishedprofessor'sknowledgein Francewhen he publishedhis
principlesof harmonyand accompanimentforyounglearnersin 1804[Choron
and Fiocchi1804],using the famousNeapolitanmaster'srulesand examples.
The content of Fenaroli's MusicalRulesis further described (Avellino 1818,
17-18):
Afterfixing in his MusicalRulesthe generaltheoriesof consonancesand dissonances,the authordealswith the scale, showshow it is built up in both the
majorandminormodes,andhowit can be harmonizedin differentchordpositions.Aftergivinga clearidea of cadences,he illustratesthe rulesconcerning
dissonances,how to prepare them and how to resolve them. Eventuallyhe
showsbassmovementswith their properaccompaniments.All rules,easyand
clear,are illustratedthroughexamplesincludedin the partimenti,whichshow
theirpracticalrealization.
The authorhas dividedhis useful and well-readseriesof examplesinto
six books.The first one (as he statesin an autographmanuscriptI haveright
undermyeyes)includesscalesand cadences,followedbylessonson scalesin all
majorand minorkeys,not by examplesof dissonances,as it wronglyoccursin
some copies. The second book includesexamplesof dissonancesfollowedby
the respectivelessons,numberedaccordingto theirprogressivedifficulty.The
thirdbookincludesthe rulesof bassmovementsandis the lastone whichoffers
gradedexamplescorrespondingto the printedrules. In the fourth book the
studentsstill have to practiceall the rules and to find the right accompanimentsforall the unfiguredpartimentiincluded.Eventuallythe fifth18andsixth
books (whichclose the partimenti),include diatonic and chromaticfugues
canons, and basses for imitation (bassiimitati).
(fughenaturallye cromatiche),
In the introduction {discoursprliminaire)to his 1814 Parisian edition of

Fenaroli's Partimenti Imbimbo goes further in informing his readers of his
goal, which is to allow students of harmony to master a synthesis of harmony
and counterpoint, to which the conception of the partimento naturallyleads,
in continuity with the "tradition"(Fenaroli and Imbimbo 1814a, VIII):
16 The first Neapolitan edition of partimenti was published
by Giuseppe Girard, who was the official publisher at the
Collegio di musica; he initiallyprinted the first four books of
partimenti (publ. nos. 551, 959, 997, 998), later on the fifth
and the sixth (nos. 1348 and 1353), presumably between
1826 and 1829. See Girard's notices in the official Neapolitan newspaper, Giornale del Regno delle Due Sicilie, no.
202, August 31, 1826, and no. 95, April 25, 1829, quoted in
Cafiero and Seller 1989, 69-70. On Girard at the Collegio,
see Kandler 1821, col. 872.
18 Fenaroli had conceived the fifth book of his partimenti in

January 1811 , as we learn from a letter he sent to his former
pupil Marco Santucci (1762-1843): "Orasto facendo il quinto
libro di partimenti fugati, e soltanto voi che siete della mia
scuola, e che molto capite potete insegnarli" ("I am now
writing the fifth book of fugal partimenti, and only you, who
belong to my school and understand a lot, can teach how to
harmonize them"). The letter, written on January 18, 1811, is
in the library of the Accademia Filarmonica in Bologna; see
Catalogo della collezione d'autografi 1896, 109.
17 The Neapolitan publisher Raffaele Carli, who went to

Paris as a refugee after 1799, had printed two editions
(Fenaroli and Imbimbo 1814a, 1814b).
143
We have decided to bring out the six books of partimenti of Mr. Fenaroli of
Naples, zealous partisan of the school of Durante in which he trained. It is on
these principles, reviewed and augmented by Fenaroli himself, that students
study at the royal conservatory of Naples, not only to learn accompaniment but
also to open the path to the rules of counterpoint. And we publish them, as is
our duty, without any alteration, being the system that distinguishes the Neapolitan School, which has produced so many celebrated composers in Europe,
whose works in all genres will pass to posterity as models of the art and of good
taste, and whose names will never perish, in spite of their detractors.19
Imbimbo traces the main stages of the course (scale, intervals, chords),
reminding his readers that most instructions concerning instrumental performing techniques can be found elsewhere. His goal is to propose the "true
principles" of a coherent musical style:
Nonetheless it seemed indispensable for us to explain certain passages relating
to the scale, to intervals, and to chords, with the goal of expanding and updating the little book of MusicalRulespublished in Naples, and by the same author
Fenaroli, which leave to the teacher the task of making the fingers negotiate
the keys of the harpsichord, because he felt it was unnecessary to treat a subject
where there already exist numerous treatises on the mechanical aspect of playing this instrument. At the same time, we hope that the public would agree with
our intention, which has no goal but the advancement of dedicated pupils, and
the support of an art that, though degenerated in our own day by the mixing
of styles, will rise again, shining and pure, in happier times and following the
true principles.20(Fenaroli and Imbimbo 1814a,VIII)
The harmonization of the scale is a turning point as far as the application of
the rules is concerned. When Choron and Vincenzo Fiocchi (who assisted
Choron) had to choose among the examples of the "classical" masters of the
Italian schools, they chose to quote Durante as the highest authority (see
Example 1).
Imbimbo proposes two examples to illustrate the ascending and descending major and minor scales (see Examples 2 and 3) . As far as the fifth degree
19 "Nous nous sommes propos de mettre au jour les

six livres des Partimenti de M.r Fenaroli Napolitain, zl
partisan de l'cole de Durante d'o il est sorti. C'est sur
ces principes revus et augments par lui mme que
s'exercrent les lves du conservatoire royal de Naples,
non seulement pour apprendre l'accompagnement, mais
encore pour s'ouvrir la route aux rgles du contrepoint;
et nous les publions, comme il est de notre devoir, sans
aucune altration, et comme tant le systme par o s'est
distingue l'cole napolitaine, qui a produit en Europe tant
de clbres compositeurs, dont les ouvrages en tout genre
passeront la postrit comme des modles de l'art et du
bon got, et dont les noms ne priront jamais, en dpit de
20 "Cependant, il nous a paru indispensable d'expliquer

quelques passages relativement l'chelle, aux intervalles,
et aux accords, afin de rpandre plus de jour sur le petit
livre des Rgles musicales imprim Naples, et du mme
auteur Fenaroli, laissant aux professeur le soin de faire parcourir avec les doigts les touches du clavecin, puis qu'il nous
a paru inutile d'en parler,attendu qu'il existe assez de traits
sur la partie mcanique de l'excution de cet instrument.
Nous esprons en mme tems que le public voudra bien
agrer notre intention qui n'a pour but que l'avancement des
lves studieux, et le soutien d'un art qui, quoique dgnre de nos jours par le mlange des styles, se relvera
brillant et pur dans des temps plus hereux, en suivant les
leurs dtracteurs."
vrais principes."
144
EXERCICE SUR LA REGLE DE L'OCTAVE.

Dans les Moder Majeur et Mineur, et selon les trois positions de la main droite.
*T-
ModeMajeur.
'
iw y ~y-\? I g fi' i j y il y g up g i r^-[-i-y-ft- o
^^
^jg- q
l*ePoi .
g; ' "--:: - yrf
^^cxcizaaz
g== -Pfc;
c;
o-
g;
- fc^ g :-: -
.__
_ __
Mode Mineur.
%/s3?Pog.
.atPo.
g --:
"
... - ^
zn=z^=== 3zz=i5^
=^^^^
gj
'
'
^*
' .
^ .' #q
^j,
- - -
"
_'
. -
cfJ rf" =
Cet Exercice doit se faire successivement dans tous les tons Majeurs et leurs relatifs
.
Mineurs,en -suivant Tordre des dizes et des bernois, (voyez l'introduction)
Example 1. Exercise on the rgle de l'octave (Choron and Fiocchi 1804, 7)
is concerned in the ascending scale, Imbimbo proposes to harmonize it with

tonic rather than dominant harmony (the Neapolitan norm) and points out
that there is a querelleconcerning the authentic "version"21(Fenaroli and
Imbimbo 1814a, 19). No further evidence of what Imbimbo describes as a controversyyet to be "decided authentically"can be found in his textbooks (nor
in Durante's or Fenaroli's). An indication of the bassefondamentaleis given as
well, most likely with the intention of translating the empirical Neapolitan
rules into the language of Jean-Philippe Rameau and perhaps catching the
attention (and indulgence) of a French, Rameau-oriented reader.
A coherent style should maintain "clarity"(clart)and "simplicity"(simplicit),avoiding bizarre and awkward("barbarous")modulations, taking care
21 "Dans cette premire chelle la corde fondamentale de
la Cinquime montante du ton est le Do (a) base de l'accord
parfait, compos de l.e 3.e et 5.e, et qui dans le renversement des parties vers l'aigu se change en 4.e et 6.e sur la
corde Sol (b) de la basse continue. Ce principe a fait naitre
la question de savoir si la Cinquime montante du ton doit

s'accompagner de la 3.e et 5.e, ou de la 4.e et 6.e, ce qui n'a
pas encore t dcid authentiquement." Letter (a) refers
to the fundamental-bass staff; letter (b) refers to the thoroughbass staff.
145
" I Q I Qr^U^rJr-krj
I I rj \\ fl l g ] ^4-^ Tri j g4^Q -Lg~"T
yftrranti \/L(M
^=
-<fr-m~ g
:
:
q^i g^ ^g-
Gy^
I Isli
."
-w--
f :r*- ' ^^^^^r

r I
'
vr
gg^- -sg- ^^r. ^g-
-g? s^- -jre-
-j-Lj-lllxiLJi-i
s
*-r-
g^ eg--
-g-
'
and descending
--
z&zz^^^^zzEi^zEgEES
"'
. (a)
Example 2. The major scale in ascending
- --
EE *
I-
11
motion (Fenaroli and Imbimbo
1814a, 19)
4'
'
\ic
w
\\\t{\\\^M^'\
'
^~T\
*->-\fr\z:t
I;
Example 3. The minor scale in ascending

1814a, 19)
1:.
n HTM"'|:.B
.a
H;
and descending
'
. ".: V
j j
<
<
1"
|riiaT?i:TH
ll"
I,.
motion (Fenaroli and Imbimbo
of melody and a unity of thought (Fenaroli and Imbimbo 1814a, VIII-IX;

Imbimbo may be echoing Rousseau's concept of unit de mlodie,Rousseau
1768,536-39):
To those who professit, however,we continueto stronglyadvisethat they preservein theircompositionsthe clarityand simplicityof the NeapolitanSchool,
and that they distancethemselvesentirelyfrom these instrumentalharmonic
modulationsthat are nothing but bizarre,braying,and often barbarous,and
whichareso glorifiedtodayto the greatharmanddetrimentof melody,because
too manysimultaneoussensationsproduceconfusion,givingneitherpleasure
nor anypreciseidea of whatone hears,whenceit comes aboutthat the mind,
agitated,tormented,tiredof not understandinganything,becomesboredwithout enjoyment.An overlycomplicatedmusicbecomeslost in the labyrinthof
the ear.A true musicis thatwhichpenetratesthe recessesof the heart,seat of
all the passions.In a composer,varyingthe mode and rhythmneedlessly,creating strangechords,forcingoneself ultimatelyto producea harmonywithouta
unityof ideas,provesan absenceof genius.Onlytwoinspirednotesplayedwell
1:1
146

suffice to produce a grand effect, and it is in this that consists the sublimeof
the art.22
In his introduction to the second volume of Fenaroli 's Partimenti,
Imbimbo illustrates how a partimento can become a bassofugato, being realized according to contrapuntal principles (Fenaroli and Imbimbo 1814b, I):
In the school of music established in Naples, among the exercises given to students who have made some progress in partimenti and counterpoint, is the
Basso Fugato, where one invents parts from which to compose a multi-voice
fugue. Mr. Fenaroli, being Master at the Royal Conservatory of Santa Maria di
Loreto in Naples, is the first to have given us a collection of bassifugati in his
partimenti, the purpose being to challenge the students and to facilitate their
becoming distinguished composers some day, like Santucci, Giordaniello,
Zingarelli, Cimarosa, etc., etc. Now this method, which is little known or completely unknown, poses great difficulties for many students. For this reason,
and wishing to smooth the road for those who study music, I have realized in 2,
3, 4, or 5 voices some of these bassi without changing anything of their layout.
There were some where I permitted myself to explicate a certain passage; and
to make the artifice of a certain composition more comprehensible, I felt that
it was indispensable to add a summary of everything that applies to the practice
of counterpoint and fugue, hoping that, as fruit of my labors, that I would find
more indulgence than severitywith the public, and a smile of approval from the
venerable Fenaroli.23
Some more useful detailson the students'trainingconcern the use of the

scale (Fenaroliand Imbimbo1814b,16):
"
22 Ne cessons pas cependant de bien recommander ceux
qui le professent de conserver dans leurs compositions la
clart et la simplicit de l'cole napolitaine, et de s'loigner
entirement de ces modulations harmoniques instrumentales qui ne sont que bizarres, bruyantes et souvent barbares, et dont on se glorifie tant aujourd'hui, au grand abus
et dtriment de la mlodie, puisque plusieurs sensations
simulanes produisant la confusion, ne donnent ni plaisir, ni
aucune ide prcise de ce qu'on entend; d'o il arrive que
l'ame agite, tourmente, fatigue de ne rien comprendre,
s'ennuie sans pouvoir jouir. Une musique trop complique
se perd dans le labyrinthe de l'oreille. La vraie musique
est celle qui pntre les voies du coeur sige de toutes
les passions. Varier de mode et de rhytme sans ncessit,
prodiguer les accords, s'enforcer, enfin, de produire une
harmonie sans unit de penses, prouve dans un compositeur l'absence du gnie. Deux seules notes d'inspiration et
bien excutes suffisent pour produire le plus grand effet,
et c'est en quoi consiste le Sublime de l'art."
23 "Un des exercises de l'cole de musique tablie
Naples est de donner aux jeunes gens qui ont fait des progrs dans les Partimenti et dans le Contrepoint, un Basso
fugato, pour en diviser les parties dont ils composent une

Fugue plusieurs voix. Mr Fenaroli tant matre du Conservatoire royal de S.te Marie de Lorette Naples, est le
premier qui nous ait laiss dans ses Partimenti une suite de
Bassi fugati, pour y exercer les lves, et leur faciliter les
moyens de devenir un jour des compositeurs distingus,
tels que M.rs Santucci, Giordaniello, Zingarelli, Cimarosa,
&c. &c. Or, cette mthode tant peu connue ailleurs, ou ne
l'tant point du tout, offre de grandes difficults plusieurs
personnes. C'est pourquoi, voulant applanir la route ceux
qui tudient la musique, j'ai dcompos quelques unes de
ces Bassi en les rduisant en Fugues 2, 3, 4 et 5 voix,
sans rien charger leur marche; il y en a aussi quelques
unes dont je me suis permis d'tendre quelque passage;
et pour mieux faire comprendre l'artifice d'une composition
quelconque, j'ai cru qu'il toit indispensable d'y ajouter un
abrg de tout ce qui rapport la pratique du Contrepoint
et de la Fugue; esprant, pour fruit de mon travail, trouver
dans le public plus d'indulgence que de svrit, et dans le
respectable Fnaroli un sourire de bienveillance."
Rosa Cafiero Partimento Theory in France
147
If a young man wishes to make progress in the rules of partimenti and counterpoint, he will begin by practicing the scale, creating against it melodies of a
single voice, first in note-against-note counterpoint, and then with more
notes - and of different values- per each note of the scale. He will continue his
exercises by placing above the same scale a florid counterpoint of two voices,
first with consonances only, and then with dissonances between them. And he
will do the same thing with three and four voices, not only with brief notes but
also with long ones. He will retain the same scale as a subject, and he will
modulate the other parts along with it, inverting the intervals.24
Eventually, the student will build up a bassofugato (or a ricercare)based
on the partimento, taking care of both contrapuntal and harmonic invention,
without excessive effects (Fenaroli and Imbimbo 1814b, 18) :25
A young man wishing to notate in score a basso fugato or a ricercare from partimenti should make use of the clefs designated by the partimento's author, or
replace those he judges more appropriate. He will notate the subject (proposta)
and answer (risposta)of each part, and if there is a counter subject he will examine it to see where it should be introduced. He will fill in the void of harmony
between the parts, occasionally giving the parts pauses so that they can reenter
with more force. He will carefully observe the notes that bring about a change
of key (mode). He will seek out double counterpoints, canons, inversions, imitations, episodes, and strettos of the fugue. Lastly,in addition to the bassocantante
(the vocal bass notated in the partimento), he ought to invent, if possible, a
basso continuo, simple or complex, that not only serves as an accompaniment,
but also participates with the other parts in the texture of the harmony, to
which that bass will sometimes join the bassocantanteor the voice that replaces
it. (Fenaroli and Imbimbo 1814b, 17)26
He recommendsthata studentfollowthe idealmodels,both in theoryand in

practice,which are the GoldenAge masters(Fenaroliand Imbimbo1814b,
18-19): "Nourishyourselfby readingthe fine writerson both practiceand
theory,studycarefullythe examplesthat they cite, and aboveall studyMar24 "Quand le jeune homme aura fait des progrs dans les
rgles des Partimenti et du Contrepoint il commencera
s'exercer sur l'chelle, en y crant des chants une voix seule,
d'abord note contre note, et ensuite plusieurs notes - de
valeur diffrente contre une de la mme - mesure. Il continuera ses exercises, en disposant sur la mme chelle un
Contrepoint fleuri deux voix, d'abord en consonnance, et
puis en dissonance entre elles, et fera la mme chose
trois et quatre voix, tant avec des petites notes qu'avec
des grosses. Il se servira encore de la mme chelle pour
Sujet, et fera moduler les autres Parties avec elle, en renversant les intervalles."The scale is prescribed as a starting
point according to contrapuntal rules illustrated by Nicola
Sala (1794), whose text was reprinted (and translated into
French) in Choron 1808.
25 On the role of partimento fugue in eighteenth-century
German musical pedagogy, see Gingras 2008.
26 "Voulant mettre en partition un Basso fugato, ou un

Ricercare des Partimenti, le jeune homme pourra se servir
des clefs dsignes par l'auteur, ou les remplacer par celles
qu'il jugera propos. Il notera la Proposta et la Rponse
de chaque Partie, et s'il y a un Contre Sujet, il examinera
par qui on doit l'introduire. Il remplira le vide de l'harmonie
entre les Parties quelquefois leur donnant des pauses, pour
reprendre avec plus de force. Il prendra garde aux notes qui
apportent du changement dans le Mode. Il cherchera les
Contrepoints doubles, les Canons, les Renversements, les
Imitations, les Divertissements et le Stretto de la Fugue.
Enfin, outre la Basse chantante, il tachera de trouver, s'il est
possible, une basse continue, simple ou compos, qui non
seulement serve d'accompagnement, mais qui concoure
avec les autres Parties la coutexture de l'harmonie, et la
quelle Basse on joindra quelquefois la Basse chantante, ou
la voix qui la remplace."
148
cello, Scarlatti, Durante, Leo, Pergolesi, and Jommelli, all grand masters in
melody and in harmony."27Melody and harmony, that is, the art of "singing"
("Le bon got de la musique drive du chant, et pour bien composer, il faut
savoirchanter";Fenaroli and Imbimbo 1814b, 19), joined to the art of accompanying, make up an ideal, "natural"combination (Imbimbo 1821, 44-45):
Our old masters,withoutstrayingfrom the rules, knewwell how to calculate
the effect and the impressionsthat a melody,accompaniedbut not tormented
by harmony,can makeon the soul. It is so true that the people in Italy,moved
bya beautifulpiece of music,yetwithoutknowinganymusicalnotation,retain
in the mind the mosthappyfeaturesof an air that theyhavejust heard.. . .
Melodyand harmonyarelikewisegivento us bynature,butwiththis difference:melody,daughterof the imagination,and whatI regardas the mobile
aspectof all music,beingfree in its progress,existsand shineson its own,while
harmony,the resultof calculation,existsandshinesonlythroughthe combination of severalmelodies,of whichit is composed.Nowthe principleof pleasure
thatwe essay,derivingfromthatadmirableunion of melodywithharmony,and
the rules of musicupholdthe sameprinciple;anytime that one straysfromit,
the musicis no longernatural,the expressionis lacking,and the soul takesno
joy in it. These abuseshavemanifestedthemselvesin all eras.28
The Neapolitan school (and the Durantist tradition)
as viewed (and reflected) by Franois-Joseph Ftis
Franois-JosephFtis, famous Parisianwriter on music and future head of the
Belgian national conservatory, focused his attention on two related "Italian
schools" of harmonic accompaniment: a Roman one (traditionallyassociated
with Bernardo Pasquini) and a Neapolitan one (linked to Alessandro Scarlatti) . Both schools emphasize a style that pays close attention to all voices,
each of which need to "singin an elegant manner" (Ftis 1840, 53; Arlin 1994,
47; Cafiero 2001a):
In Italy,things remainedin this state29with respectto harmonictheoryuntil
the end of the seventeenthcentury.But the practiceof accompanimentmade
27 "II faut se nourrir de la lecture des bons crivains en

pratique comme en thorie, examiner attentivement les
exemples qu'ils citent, et surout tudier Marcello, Scarlatti,
Durante, Leo, Pergolesi, et Jom[m]elli, tous grands matres
en Mlodie, et en Harmonie."
28 "Nos anciens matres, sans s'carter des rgles, savaient
bien calculer l'effet, et les impressions que la mlodie,
accompagne, mais non tourmente par l'harmonie, pourrait faire sur l'ame; cela est si vrai, que le peuple en Italie,
pntr d'une belle musique, sans connatre le moindre
signe musical, retient dans sa tte les traits les plus heureux
d'un air qu'il vient d'entendre. . . .
"La mlodie et l'harmonie nous sont galement donnes par la nature, avec cette diffrence que la mlodie,
fille de l'imagination, et que je regarde comme le mobile

de toute la musique, tant libre dans sa marche, subsiste
et brille toute seule, au lieu que l'harmonie, rsultant du
calcul, ne subsiste et ne brille que par la combinaison de
plusieurs mlodies, dont elle est compose. Or, le principe
du plaisir que nous prouvons, drivant de cet accord admirable de la mlodie avec l'harmonie, et les rgles musicales
tenant au mme principe; toutes les fois qu'on s'en carte,
la musique n'est pas naturelle, l'expression est manque,
et l'ame n'en jouit pas. Ces abus se sont manifests dans
tous les temps."
29 Ftis refers to harmonie rules proposed by Lorenzo
Penna (1672).
RosaCafiero~ PartimentoTheory in France
149
considerableprogress,particularlyin the schoolsof Pasquiniin RomeandAlessandroScarlattiin Naples.Fortheirstudents,these greatmasterswrotenumerous figuredbasses,to whichthe namepartimentiwas
given.Insteadof striking
chords,followingthe Frenchand Germanusage,these mastersdemandedthat
the accompanisthaveall the accompanimentpartssing in an elegantmanner.
In this connection,the Italiansmaintainedan incontestablesuperiorityin the
artof accompanyingfor a long time.30
Ftis cites Durante as the turning point between the Roman and the
Neapolitan traditions (Ftis 1865, 3:88-89):
. Less
Durante's makeupwasverydifferentfrom that of his master [Scarlatti]
in
and
in
social
timid
character
full of ideas,cold bytemperament,
position,in
boldness
of
dramatic
Durante
to
the
short, a completestranger
genius,
portrayedin musicthe devotionof his religioussentiments,the clarityof his conception,the pure tasteand respectfor the traditionsof the schoolwhichcharacterizehis talent.Evenif he did not go to Rome,he obviouslymadea serious
studyof the mastersof the Romanschool,andhisworkhadthe aimof introducing the more severeformsto the Neapolitanschool. Suchwas his role in the
directionthat the art took in Naplesduringthe eighteenthcentury.Thus one
sees thathe wasin no wayan apprenticeof GaetanoGrecoand Scarlatti;a reading of his scores demonstratesthat he was changed under the influence of
Romangenius.31
General principles that derived from the naturedes chosesplay a primary role
in Durante's doctrine, in which Ftis- adapting a concept already focused on
by Choron (Simms 1975, 119; Schellhous 1991, 224-25)- finds the basis of
tonality (Ftis 1865, 3:88-89):
This master[Durante]is deemed the most expert professorthat the Neapolitan schooleverhad. It would,however,be an errorto believethathis expertise
wasfoundedon a cleardoctrine,whereall the factswouldhavebeen deduced
fromgeneralprinciplesdrawnfromthe natureof things.Therewasneveranything like it in the schoolsof Italy.The method of instructionhad, as its only
basis,a school traditionemanatingfar more from feeling than from reason.
30 "Les choses restrent en cet tat en Italie jusqu' la fin
du dix-septime sicle, l'gard de la thorie de l'harmonie;
mais la pratique de l'accompagnement fit de grands progrs, particulirement dans les coles de Pasquini, Rome,
et d'Alexandre Scarlatti, Naples. Ces grands musiciens
crivirent pour leurs lves beaucoup de basses chiffres
auxquelles on donna le nom de partimenti: au lieu d'y faire
plaquer des accords, suivant l'usage des Franais et des
Allemands, ces matres exigeaient que l'accompagnateur
fit chanter d'une manire lgante toutes les parties de
l'accompagnement. Sous ce rapport, les Italiens conservrent long-temps une incontestable supriorit dans
l'art d'accompagner." See Cafiero 2001a.
31 "Inorganisation de Durante tait trs-diffrente de celle

de son matre [Scarlatti]; peu riche d'ides, froid par temprament; timide par caractre et par position sociale; enfin,
compltement tranger aux hardiesses du gnie dramatique, Durante portait dans la musique la dvotion de ses
sentiments religieux, la lucidit de conception, le got pur et
le respect des traditions d'cole qui caractrisent son talent.
S'il n'alla pas Rome, il fit videmment une tude srieuse
des matres de l'cole romaine, et ses travaux eurent pour
objet d'introduire dans l'cole napolitaine des formes plus
svres. C'est l son rle dans la direction que l'art prit
Naples au dix-huitime sicle. On voit donc qu'il n'avait pas
tout appris de Gaetano Greco et de Scarlatti: la lecture de
ses partitions dmontre qu'il s'tait modifi sous l'influence
du gnie de Rome."
150
Underthis regime,Duranteappearsto havehad, morethananyotherteacher,

the talentfor communicatingthis tradition,and the mostsophisticatedfeeling
for the tonality.An irrefutableproofis the greatnumberof excellentstudents
that he trained.One distinguishestwo differentepochs duringhis professorship.The firstproducedTraetta,Vinci,Terradellas,andJommelli.The second,
whichbeginswiththe deathof Leo and endswithhis own passing,gaverise to
talentsof the first order,such as those of Piccinni,Sacchini,Guglielmi,and
Paisiello.32
Comparedto thisaugusttradition,Ftisleviesveryseverejudgmentson
Fenaroli'sRules.For Ftisthey are no more than anachronistic,simple,and
empirical(Ftis1840,131-32;Jenni 1992,456), whoseonlyaimseemsto be a
synthetic,pedagogicalreformulationof Durante's theories(Ftis1840, 143):
"Wecannot consider the [Regolemusicaliperi principiantidi cembalo,nelsonarcoi
numerie per i principiantidi contrappunto(Naples: Mazzola, 1775)] of Fenaroli
as the expos of a harmonictheory.It is only a practicaloutline of the tradition, purebutoutmoded,of Durante'sschool;it did not representthe current
state of the art."33In his Traitcompletde la thorieet de la pratiquede l'harmonie
(Ftis1875, 136-44, esp. 140-43), Ftisdescribesthe figured-bassshorthand

employedby Neapolitanmasterslike Scarlatti,NicolaPorpora,Durante,and
eventuallyFenaroli.Ftisconstantlyremindsthe readerof Neapolitan"simplicity"(Ftis1875,139-40;see also Daw1985-86,51-60; Cafiero1993a;Borgir 1987, 154):
230 At the end of the seventeenthand the beginningof the eighteenthcentury, the systemof signs for chordswas extremelysimple in the Neapolitan
school.The triadgets no sign:one assumesit for all the noteswherethereis no
other sign indicated,unless it becomesmajoror minorby signsnot presentin
the keysignature.In this case, one indicatesits naturebyeithera sharp,a flat,
or a naturalsign, withor withouta figure.
One signifies the chord of sixth with a 6, along with the sign that indicates its quality.The six-fourchord is indicatedby \\ and that of the six-five
chordby 5.
In the scoresof the Neapolitanmastersone sometimesfinds the figure
{4.It indicatesa tritonechord [a six-four-twochordwith a tritonebetweenthe
raised4 and the bass].
32 "Ce matre est considr comme le plus habile professeur qu'ait eu l'cole Napolitaine; toutefois, on serait dans
l'erreur si l'on croyait que son habilet consistait dans une
doctrine lumineuse, o tous les faits auraient t ramens
des principes gnraux tirs de la nature des choses. Il
n'y a jamais eu rien de pareil dans les coles d'Italie. La
mthode d'enseignement n'y avait d'autre base qu'une
tradition d'cole mane d'un sentiment bien plus que
du raisonnement. Sous ce rapport, Durante parat avoir eu
plus qu'aucun autre le talent de communiquer cette tradition, et le sentiment le plus perfectionn de la tonalit. Le
grand nombre d'lves excellents qu'il a forms en est une
preuve irrcusable. On distingue deux poques dans son

professorat. La premire a produit Traetta, Vinci, Terradeglias et Jom[m]elli; la seconde, qui commence la mort
de Leo et qui finit la sienne, a fait clore des talents de
premier ordre, tels que ceux de Piccinni, Sacchini, Guglielmi
et Paisiello."
33 "On ne peut considrer les rgles d'accompagnement
pratique de Fenaroli (Naples, 1795) comme l'expos d'une
thorie d'harmonie; ce n'est qu'un aperu pratique de la tradition de l'cole de Durante; tradition pure, mais arrire, et
qui ne reprsentait pas l'tat actuel de l'art."
151
The chord of the dominantseventhis figured by Jor jf, the chord of a

seventh
acting as a suspensionto the sixth, by 7, and finally,that of a
plain
diminishedseventh,by 5,or %.
It is worthnoting thatScarlattiand his pupilsoften scoredtheirworksin
three parts,and that the Neapolitanschool fashionedaccompanimentsat the
organor the harpsichordin the same manneruntil the end of the eighteenth
who wantsto reflect the thoughtof
century.Thus the harmonist-accompanist
these authorsmustnot onlyknowthe meaningof theirfiguresbut also choose
from amongthe best chordalintervalsto makea three-partaccompaniment.
The resultof thissystemis a singingformwhichone does not find in an accompanimentsoundedout in fourparts.34
sheds furtherlight on the

A quotationfrom Imbimbo'sSeguitode'Partimenti
latterdescription,concerningthe three-voice"singingform"(Fenaroliand
Imbimbo1814b,18): "AsDurantewouldsay,greatartdoes not consistin using
all the notesthata certainchordmightallow,butin suppressingsomeof them
whichmighthaveproduceda coarseor confusedeffect."35
Ftis (1875, 140) focuseson Durante'sand LeonardoLeo'srole in the
traditionand describesthe "Neapolitan"
prescriptionsfor figuredbassassummarizedfrom Fenaroli'sRegole:"Duranteand Leo, great composersof the
Neapolitanschool who succeededScarlattiand becamemastersof the city's
conservatories,perfectedthis school'ssystemof figuredbass,a systemwhich
is unchangedsince then, and whichis stilla force in teaching,even thoughit
The ruleshave
is no longer in step with the currentsituationof harmony."36
no
and
codification
of
an
role
the
longer correspondto
antiquarian
gained
34 "Le systme des signes des accords fut fort simple dans
l'cole de Naples, la fin du XVIle sicle et au commencement du XVIIle. Laccord parfait ne s'y chiffre pas; on le suppose sur toutes les notes o il n'y a point d'autre accord
indiqu, moins qu'il ne devienne ou majeur ou mineur, par
des signes qui ne sont pas auprs de la clef; dans ce cas,
on indique sa nature ou par le dise, ou par le bmol, ou par
le bcarre, sans chiffre, ou avec le chiffre.
"Laccord de sixte se chiffre par 6, avec le signe qui
indique sa nature. Laccord de quarte et sixte et dsign par
5 ; et celui de quinte et sixte par |.
"Quelquefois on trouve dans les partitions des matres
napolitains le chiffre double g: il indique l'accord de triton.
"Laccord de septime dominante est chiffr par \ ou ;
l'accord de septime simple retardant la sixte, par 7; enfin,
celui de septime diminue, par 5, ou par %.
"Il est remarquer que Scarlatti et ses lves crivirent souvent leur instrumentation trois parties, et que
l'accompagnement de l'orgue ou du clavecin s'est fait de
la mme manire dans l'cole napolitaine jusque vers la
fin du XVIIle sicle. Lharmoniste accompagnateur, qui veut
rendre la pense de ces auteurs, doit non-seulement connatre la signification de leurs chiffres, mai faire un choix
des meilleurs intevalles des accords pour accompagner

trois parties. Le rsultat de ce systme est une forme chantante qu'on ne trouve pas dans l'accompagnement plaqu
quatre parties."
On Scarlatti's approach to voicing and texture in a cantata
accompaniment, see Daw 1985-86, 51-60. On Scarlatti's
Regole per principianti (included among Selvaggi's manuscripts, now in London, British Library Additional 14244),
see Cafiero 1993a. See also Borgir 1987, 154.
35 "Le grand art, disoit Durante, ne consiste pas faire
usage de toutes les notes, dont un accord est susceptible,
mais d'en supprimer quelques-unes qui pourroient produirre
de la rudesse, ou de la confusion."
36 Ftis (1875, 140) refers to Fenaroli (1795): "Durante et
Leo, grands compositeurs de l'cole de Naples, qui succdrent Scarlatti et devinrent les matres des Conservatoires de cette ville, compltrent le systme de la basse
chiffre de cette cole; systme qui n'a plus vari, et qui est
encore en vigueur dans l'enseignement, bien qu'il ne soit
plus en rapport avec la situation actuelle de l'harmonie."
152
contemporary harmony. Ftis severely deprecates the anachronistic teaching

methods which continue to be used in Naples (as reflected in many biographies from his Biographieuniverselle,e.g., Zingarelli's). The only Neapolitan
harmony textbook he seems to appreciate is Gaspare Selvaggi's Trattatodi
ArmonicP(1823), which is founded on totally different principles and focuses
on chord "succession"(Ftis 1865, 8:12) . Selvaggi'swayof thinking is definitely
much more oriented towardrational principles and toward the foundation of
a grammar than toward empiricism. His wide education and his intellectual
status put him on a different level from professional- and for Ftis definitely
too practical- musicians.
Ftis summarizes the most frequent figures occurring in Neapolitan
scores. In so doing, he seems to have been inspired by a sense of Linnean
order and classification rather than by a real need to focus on and understand what we might call the Neapolitan Weltanschauung,
founded primarily
on improvisation, intuition, and nonverbal theory (Ftis 1875, 140-42):
1. One does not figurea triadmadeup of notesbelongingto the tonality.
If the triadbecomesmajorin a minorkey,one figuresit with3f or 34,or simply
with the f, or witha lone 4whencancelinga flat. If the triadbecomesminorin
a majorkey,one figuresit with 3\?or 34,or simplywitha \?or 4.
2. If the triadfollowsa retardationof thirdby the fourth [i.e.,a 4-3 suspension],one figuresit with 3; if it followsa retardationof octaveby the ninth,
it is indicatedby8. Andwhenit precedesa chordof the sixthon the same [bass]
note, or whenit followsone, it is indicatedby 5.
3. The plain sixth chord, derivedfrom the [rootposition] triad,is figuredwitha 6. If it becomesmajorin a minorkey,one figuresit withf6 or 46.If
it becomesminorin a majorkey,it is indicatedbyb6or 46.It is alsowitha f6 or
46thatone designatesthe augmentedsixth chord.
4. The six-fourchordis figuredwitht
5. All seventhchords,whatevertheir nature,are simplyfiguredwith a 7
whenno circumstanceforeignto the keymanifestsitselfin the harmony.In the
worksof Neapolitancomposers,this is the figure that indicatesthe dominant
seventhchord, the suspensionof the sixth by the seventh,the minorseventh
chordon the secondscale degree (producedby the combinationof prolongation [= a suspension]with substitution),and even the diminished seventh
chord.This last is also sometimesfiguredas J.
If thereis a changeof key,the majorthirdof the dominantseventhchord
is indicatedbya sharpor flat, as in 17or 47.
37 "Selvaggi is the first Italian author who brought to this
science the true method of exposition and analysis. He foresaw the important role of tonality in melody and harmony,
and understood that a theory of the chords cannot be understood without a consideration of their order of succession"
("Selvaggi est le premier auteur italien qui porta dans cette
science la vritable mthode d'exposition et d'analyse. Il
a entrevu le rle important de la tonalit dans la mlodie

et l'harmonie, et a compris que la thorie des accords ne
peut tre compris que par la considration de leur ordre de
succession"; Ftis 1865, vol. 8, 12 [entry "Selvaggi"]). For
a survey of Ftis's theories - Ftis described himself as the
first discoverer of harmonic "truths"- in relation to Choron's
views, see Simms 1975.
RosaCafiero~ PartimentoTheory in France
153
If the minorthird of the seventhchordon the second scale degree is a

resultof a changeof key,the sign for thatchordis Vlor V7.
6. The six-fivechordwith diminishedfifth, first inversionof the dominant seventhchord,is indicatedby 5,just like the six-fivechordon the fourth
scale degree. The differencebetweenthese two chordsis not noticed by the
accompanist,savethatthe firstone has the leadingtone for its bass.
7. The chordwiththe sixthas leadingtone, secondinversionof the dominantseventhchord,is figuredwith6l or 6^.One indicatesit, accordingto the
context,by' or^.The sharpand the naturalsign, placedafterthe 6 or aboveit,
distinguishthis chordfromthatof the plain majorsixth,wherethe accidental
precedesthe figure.
8. The tritonechord,thirdinversionof the dominantseventh,is figured
2or 4 in the majormode,wherethereis no tone foreignto the key;and byf, 4f,
I4,or f whenthe fourthis mademajorby an accidentalsharpor by the canceling of a flat. In the minormode, the sharpor naturalis alwaysplacedbeside
the figure.
9. In the plain triad,the delay [= suspension]of the thirdby a fourthis
simplyfiguredas 4; the samedelayas partof a seventhchordis figured\. This
last figure is used to indicatethe delayof the sixth by a seventhin a six-four
chord.
10. The delayof the octaveby a ninth is figured by 9. The V sign, of
whichone hardlyunderstandsthe purpose,seemsintendedto showthe necessityof a thirdto accompanythe delay;for when the thirdis minor,one figures
it with%[The V signwasactuallya Romannumeralten, "X";see Gjerdingen,
this issue (93)]
11.The delayof the thirdby the bass,in a sixth chord,producinga second and a fifth, is figuredby|. The samedelay,with substitution,producinga
second,fourth,and sixth, is figuredby |.3a
38 1. Laccord parfait ne se chiffre pas sur les notes qui lui

appartiennent dans la tonalit. S'il devient majeur dans un
ton mineur, on le chiffre par 31 ou 3*1,ou seulement par le
%seul, ou par le seul supprimant un bmol. S'il devient
mineur dans un ton majeur, on le chiffre b3 ou 43, ou seulement par \>ou par il.
2. Si l'accord parfait succde un retard de tierce par la
quarte, on le chiffre par 3; s'il succde un retard d'octave
par la neuvime, il est dsign par 8. Lorsqu'il prcde
l'accord de sixte sur la mme note, ou lorsqu'il le suit, on
l'indique par 5.
3. Laccord de sixte simple, driv de l'accord parfait,
est chiffr par 6. S'il devient majeur dans un ton mineur, on
le chiffre par #6 ou par 46; s'il devient mineur dans un ton
majeur, il est indiqu par l>6,ou par 46. C'est aussi par 16 ou
46 qu'on dsigne l'accord de sixte augmente.
4. Laccord de quarte et sixte est chiffr par \.
5. Tout accord de septime, quelle que soit sa nature,
est chiffr simplement par 7, quand aucune circonstance
trangre au ton ne se manifeste dans l'harmonie. C'est ce
chiffre qui, dans les ouvrages des compositeurs napolitains,
indique l'accord de septime de la dominante, le retard de

la sixte par la septime, l'accord de septime mineure du
second degr, produit par la runion de la prolongation avec
la substitution, et mme l'accord de septime diminue.
Celui-ci est aussi chiffr quelquefois par J.
S'il y a un changement de ton, la tierce majeure de la
septime de dominante est indique par un dise ou par un
bcarre, de cette manire #7, ou 47.
Si la tierce mineure de l'accord de septime du second
degr est le rsultat d'un changement de ton, le signe de
cet accord est VJou 47
6. Laccord de quinte mineure et sixte, premier driv
de l'accord de septime de dominante, est indiqu par \,
comme l'accord de quinte et sixte du quatrime degr.
La diffrence de ces deux accords n'est connue de
l'accompagnateur, que parce que le premier a pour basse
une note sensible.
7 Laccord de sixte sensible, deuxime driv de
l'accord de septime de dominante, est chiffr par 6$ ou
64. On l'indique aussi, suivant les circonstances, par { ou
6. Le dise et le bcarre, placs aprs le 6, ou au-dessus,
154
Ftischoosesa partimentoin B minor(FenaroliandImbimbo

Eventually
1814a,75, no. 22;Choron1808,no. 50;Fenaroliand Girardn.d., 14,bk.2, no.
6;Ftis1875,142;Cafiero2001b,213) fromamongthoseinventedbyFenaroli
and realizesit accordingto his versionof the Neapolitanrules,an aperu
prad'harmonie
(Groth1978).
tiqueantitheticalto everysortof principleof a thorie
The realizationis severein styleand givesno opportunitiesfor the "improvising"instrumentalvoicesthatweresupposedto be stillin use in Naples,at least
amongthe epigonesof the Durantisttraditionin the firstthreedecadesof the
nineteenthcentury.As one can see in Example4, Ftishas casta stereotyped
model upon a livingand continuouslyevolvingtradition.
When correctingpartimentiand exercises in counterpoint,Durante
used to answerhis pupils'questionswith the followingwords(Florimo1882,
180-81): "Mydear pupils,do it this way,becausethis is the wayyou have to
do it. It mustbe like this,becausetruthand beautyare unique,and I can feel
thatI am not wrong.I can giveyou no reasonsfor whatyou askme; teachers
whowillstepinto myshoeswillfind them,and startingfrommyeasyruleswill
buildup manyaxiomsand infalliblerules."
A dearthof systematictheoryor "infalliblerules"in favorof subjective
gnieand intuition survivesin the Neapolitan historiographicaltradition.
This"tale"aboutDurante's teachingmethodsreportedbyFrancescoFlorimo
(who had heard it from GiovanniFurno,his partimentoteacherat the Collegio di Musica,who had in turnheardit fromhis teacherCarloCotumacci)
has helped to strengthenand spreada long-surviving
myth.Today,we can see
thatthe Neapolitantradition,whenfullyfunctioningin itsworldof close-knit
teachersand students,wasindeed a highlysystematizedprocessfor developing skillsin improvisationand composition.Butwhen takenout of its native
contextand reducedto "treatises"
readby studentsunawareof the tradition,
it beganto transforminto partof the nineteenth-century
studyof harmony.It
font connatre la diffrence de cet accord avec celui de sixte

simple majeur, o le signe prcde le chiffre.
8. Laccord de triton, troisime driv de l'accord de
septime de dominante, est chiffr par \ ou par 4, dans le
mode majeur, lorsqu'il n'y a aucune circonstance trangre
au ton; et par f, 41, {S, ou f, lorsque la quarte est rendue
majeure par un dise nouveau, ou par la suppression d'un
bmol. Dans le mode mineur, le dise ou le bcarre sont
toujours placs ct du chiffre.
9. Le retard de la tierce par la quarte, dans l'accord
parfait, est chiffr simplement par 4; le mme retard, dans
l'accord de septime, chiffr par \. Ce dernier chiffre est
employ pour indiquer le retard de la sixte par la septime
dans l'accord de quarte et sixte.
10. Le retard de l'octave par la neuvime est chiffr par
9. Le signe +, dont on ne comprend gure l'utilit, paratdes-
tin indiquer la ncessit de la tierce pour accompagner le

retard; car lorsque la tierce est mineure, on chiffre par kg.
11. Le retard de la tierce par la basse, dans l'accord
de sixte, produisant seconde et quinte, est chiffr par f.
Le mme retard, avec la substitution, produisant seconde,
quarte et sixte, est chiffr par \"
IN^
r|f
r-l
Example 4. A realization by Ftis of a partimento
w-nuLf
155
f4h^^gp
by Fenaroli (Ftis 1875, 142)
is in Paris,at the end of the eighteenthand the beginningof the nineteenth

centuries,that this transformationtakes place. And it is in the documents
describedabovethatwe candetectsubtleshiftsof conceptsas partimentileave
their homelandof an essentiallyoral traditionand are subsumedinto a foreign, moreliterarytraditionof printedharmonybooks.
156

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Yale University Department of Music

The Early Reception of Neapolitan Partimento Theory in France: A Survey

The EarlyReception of Neapolitan

Harmonist: A musician with a deep knowledge of harmony. He s a goodHarmonist.

Neapolitan school or Neapolitan

myths concerning the rise and "flowering"of

Journalof MusicTheory51:1, Spring 2007

JOURNAL of MUSIC THEORY

surprise.The lattermethod,whichtriumphedoverthe former,has givenfame

1 The platitude of equating Durante with simplicity and

resse et peu de varit dans les compositions italiennes;

Rosa Cafiero ~ Partimento Theory in France

a second-generationpupil of Durante,as well),6whose role and presence

whichwasthen translateda coupleof years

6 "After Durante's death in 1755, Carlo Contumacci, who

9 Selvaggi 1823; see Cafiero 2001a. For further references

7 Di Giacomo conducted detailed archival research; see

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Conservatory10and to the British Library;see Hughes-Hughes (1906-9) and

Durch bedeutende, mit manchem persnlichen Opfer

11 On the documentary sources used by Sigismondo

Rosa Cafiero ~ Partimento Theory in France

France. The presence of Fenaroli as a teacher at the Conservatorio of Santa

equippedwitha fine numberof examplescalled partimenti.. . ,14

books in Vincenzo Mazzola-Vocola's printing house, close to

14 Priorto Giuseppe Girard'sedition, the handwritten figured

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in Napleswe still do not have any printedpartimenti16

In the introduction {discoursprliminaire)to his 1814 Parisian edition of

18 Fenaroli had conceived the fifth book of his partimenti in

17 The Neapolitan publisher Raffaele Carli, who went to

Rosa Cafiero ~ Partimento Theory in France

19 "Nous nous sommes propos de mettre au jour les

20 "Cependant, il nous a paru indispensable d'expliquer

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EXERCICE SUR LA REGLE DE L'OCTAVE.

iw y ~y-\? I g fi' i j y il y g up g i r^-[-i-y-ft- o

g; ' "--:: - yrf

is concerned in the ascending scale, Imbimbo proposes to harmonize it with

la question de savoir si la Cinquime montante du ton doit

Rosa Cafiero ~ Partimento Theory in France

f :r*- ' ^^^^^r

gg^- -sg- ^^r. ^g-

-g? s^- -jre-

Example 2. The major scale in ascending

motion (Fenaroli and Imbimbo

Example 3. The minor scale in ascending

motion (Fenaroli and Imbimbo

of melody and a unity of thought (Fenaroli and Imbimbo 1814a, VIII-IX;

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Some more useful detailson the students'trainingconcern the use of the

fugato, pour en diviser les parties dont ils composent une

Rosa Cafiero Partimento Theory in France

He recommendsthata studentfollowthe idealmodels,both in theoryand in

26 "Voulant mettre en partition un Basso fugato, ou un

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27 "II faut se nourrir de la lecture des bons crivains en

fille de l'imagination, et que je regarde comme le mobile

RosaCafiero~ PartimentoTheory in France

31 "Inorganisation de Durante tait trs-diffrente de celle

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Underthis regime,Duranteappearsto havehad, morethananyotherteacher,

(Ftis1875, 136-44, esp. 140-43), Ftisdescribesthe figured-bassshorthand