Stephanus [Stefano] Bettini [Fornarino] {Pius IV-Pius V}
Alto; Bologna; employed as one of the musici of the Signoria of Bologna (1544-1551); in Rome by 1551, since he is one of the witnesses authenticating the sentenza in the debate between Nicola Vicentino and Vincente Lusitano that took place in the papal chapel on 7 June 1551; he is further listed by Ghiselin Dankerts in the 1556 redaction of his treatise as one of the authenticators of Vicentino’s signature in one of the documents concerning the debate; Bettini’s signature is dated 29 April 1556 (seeDankerts ); admitted without examination, 29 May 1562; mandati : May 1562-September 1565; maestro di canto at San Petronio in Bologna, 1570-1576; died in Bologna before 7 May 1577 (a funeral Mass was sung for him in St. Johannes in Sula in Rome on that date).
Bettini entered the choir through the influence of Cardinal Borromeo. He was composer, possibly a theorist (the motu proprio ordering his admission speaks of books of/about music and several of his motets are preserved in manuscripts), but was not a good singer. The cardinals' commission of 1565 lumped him with Le bel as knowledgeable musicians but bad singers ("questi non hano voce bona ma hano bona intelligenza nella musica"--Document 1.15; "bonus non habet vocem recompensa"--Document 1.16) and removed Bettini from the choir assigning him a pension of 4 ducats (low, because he had been admitted without examination). He remains among the "second class" singers from October 1565-October 1571, even though he seems to have returned to Bologna in 1570.
Works in VatS Manuscripts
Ascendens in Altum (VatS 54)
DOCUMENTS
VatS 679, fol. 21r [FREY , pp. 144-145]: Undated original motu proprio ordering the admission of Bettini.
Pius papa IIII
Motu proprio etc. Dilectum filium Stephanum de Bettinis vulgo il Fornarino numcupatum clericum Bononiensem dilecti filii nostri Caroli Sancti Martini in Montibus S.R.E. cardinalis Borromei nuncupati servitiis insistendo etiam familiarem nostrum continuum commensalem, quem sonora voce et artis musices scientia ac in componendis de ea libri apprime doctum longeque excellentem probeque vite et conversationis honestum etiam familiari experientia novimus, gratioso favore prosequi volentes venerabili fratri nostro episcopo Castrensi et pro tempore existenti cappelle nostre magistro necnon dilectis filiis cantoribus et cappellanis cappelle predicte seu aliis, ad quos quomdolibet spectat, quatenus viso presentis nostro motu proprio nullo alio desuper expectato mandato ipsum Stephanum, quoad vixerit, in dicte cappelle cantorem, ut moris est, recipiant et admittant ac eorum numero et consortio favorabiliter aggregent, tenore presentium committimus et mandamus ac eis desuper licentiam et facultatem concedimus, volentes ac motu simili eidem Stephano concedentes ac etiam decernentes, quod postquam, ut prefertur, receptus et admissus fuerit, omnibus et singulis privilegiis, immunitatibus, exemptionibus, prerogativis, antelationibus, favoribus, honoribus, gratiis et indultis, quibus alii eiusdem capelle cantores et cappellani de iure vel consuetudine, privilegio et indulto illis et eidem capelle pro tempore concessis ac alias utuntur, potiuntur et gaudent ac uti, potiri et gaudere poterunt quomodolibet in futurum, similiter uti, potiri, et gaudere necnon salaria, iura et emolumenta ipsis cantoribus competentia ac dari et assignari solita et consueta consequi et habere possit et valeat sibique de salariis, iuribus et emolumentis predictis respondeant ac ab eis, ad quos pertinet responderi, responderi faciant. Non obstantibus constitutionibus et ordinationibus apostolicis etiam disponentibus quibusvis tam per felicis recordationis Julium papam III quam alios Romanos pontifices predecessores nostros de non recipiendis in dicta capella cantoribus, donec illorum numerus ad XXIIII.or reductus existat, ac alias quomdolibet et cum quibuscunque etiam derogatoriarum derogatoriis aliisque efficacioribus et insolitis clausulis irritantibusque et aliis decretis etiam motu proprio etc. factis etiam sub censuris et aliis penis tunc expressis, inhibationibus ac statutis, decretis et ordinationibus aliisque dispositionibus, quibus omnibus etc. latissime extendentibus, etiam si de illis etc. illorum tenores etc., ac si de verbo ad verbum inserentur, hac vice dumtaxat specialiter et expresse derogamus et sufficienter derogatum esse volumus, ceterisque in contrarium facientibus non obstantibus quibuscunque, presentisque nostri motus proprii solam signatura sufficere et ubique etiam in iudicio et extra absque data et registratura, regula contraria non obstante, fidem facere decernentes.
Placet motu proprio J
29v
Die 29 Maii 1562 retroscriptus D. Stephanus de Bettinis alias il Fornarino nuncupatus examinatus et approbatus ab omnibus cantoribus S.mi D. N. fuit admissus et receptus in cantorem cappellanum iuxta formam restroscripti motus proprii juravit in forma.
Tol. Episcopus Marturanensis Magister Cappelle
DS 11
24r: entry dated 7 May 1577
Fuerunt celebrate exequie d. Fornarini fratris nostris bononiensis bonnonie mortui fecimus solitum oficium in Sanctem Joannem in Sula cum magna pluvia.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: CELANI, p. 755; FREY, Die Diarien, pp. 144-145; KAUFMANN, Henry. The Life and Works of Nicola Vicentino (1511-c. 1576). Musicological Studies and Documents 11 (American Institute of Musicology, 1966), p.23; GAMBASSI, Osvaldo. La Cappella Musicale di S. Petronio: Maestri, Organisti, Cantori e Strumentisti dal 1436 al 1920. Historiae Musicae Cultores Biblioteca XLIV (Florence, 1987), pp. 81-84; GAMBASSI, Osvaldo. Il Concerto Palatino della Signoria di Bologna. Historiae Musicae Cultores Biblioteca LV (Florence, 1989); SHERR, "Competence and Incompetence;" VICENTINO, Nicola, Ancient Music Adapted to Modern Practice, Maria Rika Maniates (trans.) (New Haven, 1996), pp. 314, 450.