Alexander [Alessandro] Barri [Barre, Bartus] {Gregory XIII}
Alto; Rome [born in Rome of French parentage]; admitted 17 April 1574; DS lists of July 1577 and June 1578 ; mandati : January 1580 -September 1581 .
There is a possibility that Alessandro Barre was the son of the papal singer and composer Léonard Bonot/Barre (see Bonot/Barre) or perhaps of Antonio Barre, the printer (who may have been related to Léonard). Both of these men were of French origin (Léonard from Limoges, Antonio from Langres). In Janury 1578 , the singers had a dispute about who should be elected punctator. According to old custom, the office was supposed to rotate among the "nations" of the choir (Italian, French, Spanish) and it was the turn of the French (see Chapter 1). However, the state of the choir had so changed by the late 16th century that there actually were no Frenchmen in the group who were eligible for the post, so it was decided that Christian Ameiden (who was French speaking) should get the position. To this, the Italians objected, saying that Ameiden was not French but Flemish (he was a cleric of Liège--see Ameiden), suggesting that since Alessandro Barre was the son of a Frenchman, although born in Rome, he could be elected to the French nation's turn. The maestro , however, ruled that the job should go to Ameiden . Since we know that Bonot/Barre was married, could surmise that Antonio Barre might have been, and know that both of them were in Rome in the 1550s (the logical period of Alessandro's birth), the similarity of the name seems to be more than coincidence.
DOCUMENTS
DS 10
57v: entry dated 17 April 1574
In congregatione in qua interfuerunt 17 cantores in capella Sixti fuerunt admissi per sufragia secreta (nullo precedente examine in hac die) dd. Alexandrus Bartus [Barre] clericus Romanus in voce per contraltus et Jacobus Albanensis clericus Solnioniendris, quia fuerunt examinate hac autem die preterito prius, per eos solito juramento de observandis constitutionem et statutis capelle preter consuetudinem fuerunt admissi per R.p.d. magistrum capelle; fuerunt absentes dd. Franc. Mont.s, Fran.s Druda, et Paulus Fumone, et Augustinus Martini.
DS 11
43r: entry dated 3 January 1578
Fuit congregatio dominorum cantorum in Cappella Paulina super eligendo abatem et punctatorem novos fuit confirmatus et aprobatus ab omnibus D. Mathias pro anno 1578 ex quod se bene gesiset in administratione abatie.
D. Fran.cus Montaluo vicedecanus proposuit dominis cantoribus pro officio punctatoris D.nm Ameiden pro natione gallica eo quod per turnum illi eveniat et d.ni cantores itali id est fere omnes dixerunt quod D. Ameyden non deberet eligi quia non erat gallus sed flandrus et quia unus solus non erat conveniens habere totiens oficia puntatoris et abatis et quod D. Alexander Bari erat filius galli etiam si natus Rome quod volebat adherere nationi galice et post longam disputationem hispani et gali apelaverunt Reverendum D.nm magistrum capelle et sic in crastinum questio dicidenda remansit.
48v: entry dated 5 January 1578
Ad Perpetuam Rei Memoriam
Post vesperos Reverendus D.ns magister cappelle presentibus omnibus cantoribus cum D. vicedecano in Capella Paulina interrogavit d. cantores que esset inter eos lis vel cum quid voca sunt. Et D. vicedecanus dixit R.do d. magistro quod D.no Ameyden pertinebat pro isto anno officium puntatoris tanquam gallo et secundum constitucionem cappelle representabat nationem gallicam. D.ni itali responderunt quod non est galus sed flandrus. Et visit constitutiones cappelle per d.nm magistrum judicavit illum idest D. Ameyden representare nationem gallicam et quod de hoc non erat dubium. Et de modo electionis interogavit d.ns magister cantores de consuetdine cappelle, et omnes dixerunt quod erat antiqua consuetudo distribuere abatiam et officium puntatoris per dictas tres nationes, scilicet italicam gallicam hispanicam, per turnum. Et D. magister videndo quod de natione galica non esset alius antiquior fecit nullum puntatorem pro anno isto 1578 scilicet D. Ameyden capto juramento de fideliter exercendo officio. Et super aggregatione D. Alexandri de Bare ad dictam nationem gallicam dixit D. magister quia non ad presens poterat decidi ista aggregatio.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: CELANI, p. 758 (as "Barsi [Barti], Alessandro"); STEELE, John. "Antonio Barré: Madrigalist, Anthologist and Publisher-Some Preliminary Findings," in Richard Charteris, ed. Altro Polo: Essays on Italian Music in the Cinquecento (Sydney, 1990), pp.82-112.