Nicolaus [Niccolò] Clinca {Paul IV-Pius IV}
Soprano; Naples; formerly in the Cappella Giulia (March 1551 ); admitted 5 July 1553; mandati : July 1553 -March 1562 .
Although singers could be separated from the chapel by death, or by receiving other offers of employment, or because of scandal, or because of papal orders, Clinca actually resigned in a huff, for what seems a strange reason. On 17 February 1562, the singers decided (with Clinca as the only dissenter) that everyone should always wear clerical garb (reaffirming Chapter 19 of the Constitution of 1545). On 26 February 1562 , Clinca was fined by the singers because he refused to obey this rule. When his appeal was rejected on 16 March 1562 , he resigned from the choir on the spot. More interestingly, because it seems to relate to his abilities as a singer, his absence was noted by Cardinal Borromeo who, not knowing the details of the singer's case, asked specifically that he be present to sing the Lamentations and the Miserere in the Tenebrae Services of Holy Week and reinstated in the choir. When the cardinal was informed of the reason for Clinca's resignation, however, he agreed (as did the pope) that the singer should not be readmitted.
Before this, Clinca got into trouble when he, along with Giovanni Antonio Merlo, refused to participate in the vote that admitted tFrancisco and Hernando Bustamante to the choir. For this inobedience, Clinca and Merlo Pope Paul IV ordered Clinca and Merlo to be expelled from the choir, but the singers managed to get the punishment reduced to a massive fine (see Francisco Bustamante).
DOCUMENTS
DS
entry dated 5 July 1553 [CASIMIRI
Fuit admissus in cantorem capellae d. Nicolaus Clinca et a r. d. Hieronym. ep. Castren. eiusdem capellae magist. in sacristia ecclesiae S. Marci, presentibus d.nis cantoribus consentientibus qui iuravit in manibus eidem. Die 22 solvit regalia
DS 5
138r-138v: entry dated 1559 [CASIMIRI (1938), pp. 285-286]
DS 7
7r: entry dated 17 February 1562
Eodem die post missam decanus monuit et exortavit cantores quantenus inprimis [?] exhortantem R.p.d. sacriste deberent incedere in habitu clericali et honesto, observare silentium in evangelio etc. fuit decretum per omnes cantores Nic.o Clinca duntaxat contradicente quod obseveruntur statuti et constitutiones capelle que ad habitu deferendum et silentium in choro observandum absque aliqua preceptione.
7v: entry dated 26 February 1562
Nic.o Clinca ex. habitum 10.
10r: entry dated 16 March 1562
Eadem die post missam fuit congregatio in eadem ecclesiaa in qua d. Niccolo Clinca conquerebatur de punctatore quia eum punctaverat ex causa [?] quod non incedebat in habitu clericali cum in congregatione die 17.a feb. facta non fuerent resolutus per omnes cantores quod deberet observari statutum capelle de habitu deferendo etc. audita prepositione dicti Nicolo Clinca omnes cantores neminime discrepante de novo confirmaverunt decretus factus dicta die 17. feb. et dixerunt eidem Nicolo quod decretus fuit resolutus dicta die et pro potiori cautella de novo illud confirmabant exhortaverunt eundem Nicolaum ut observaret dictum statutum prout alii cantores observabant.
Ex tunc dictus Nicolo Clinca dixit quod nullo modo volebat obtemperare neque observare dictum statutum et quod de cetero nolebat esse amplius de collegio cantorum cum graviamine deferendi habitum clericalem neque illum computaresset nec haberuit pro cantorem dicti collegii.
10v: entry dated 17 March 1562
Fuit decantata missa tantum propterea quia occuperabant cantores in preparationem lamentationum pro septimana sancta. Post missam fuit congregatio presente R.p.d. sacrista in qua omnes cantores supplicarunt prefato sacriste ut Nicolo Clinca faceret fraternam correctionem super dictis penis hesterna die in congregationem cantorum et exortaret eum ad observandem statuti de habitu deferendo.
10v: entry dated 20 March 1562
Post missam fuit exposit in congregationem an cantores deberent vocare Niccolo Clinca ut veniret ad probandam lamentationum et fuit conclusum quod non vocaretur attento quod iam non erat de collegio cantorum.
10v: entry dated 22 March 1562
Fuit distributio lamentationum prout in lista.
11v: entry dated 27 March 1562
Ead. die post prandium R.p.d. sacrista congregavit cantores in camera sua quorum exhortavit pro parte R.mi Car.lis Borromei ut admiterent Niccolo Clinca ad decantandam lamentationes aut salmum miserere mei etc.
Super hoc fuerunt vota varia tamen intuitu R.mi car.lis borromei et prefati R.p.d. sacriste dum contentabantur quod Niccolo Clinca cantaret misserere [sic] mei sine cotta sed quia dictus Niccolo Clinca utebat nonulla verba superba et arrogante nullo modo volere autem consentire quod cantaret cum cotta neque sine cotta.
12r: entry dated 28 March 1562
Eadem die fuit congregatio in Capella Sixti in qua fuit expositus quod R.mus Car.lis Borromeus volebat informari super exclusionem Niccolo Clinca et proposuit restituire in locum suum ipso Niccolo Clinca instante. Fuerunt nominati et deputati Antonius Calasans, Vincentius Vimercato, et Petrus Paulus Caracenus ad informandum prefatum cardinalem ...super pensione cantorum contra Niccolo Clinca et in eventum quod esset de mente predicti R.mi Borromei et S.mi D.N. quod Niccolo Clinca esset cantor capelle et non alias fuit data facultas eisdem ...deputata admiterent eundem Niccolo Clinca dum tamen admitatur de novo et non alias attento quod die 16 martii renuntiavit locum suum quem habebat in capella.
12v-13r: entry dated 30 March 1562
Post prandium cantores deputati super adissionem Niccolo Clinca una cum R.p.d. sacrista informarunt R. Borromeum super his quod inter Niccolo Clinca et collegium cantorum contigerant qui benignissime recepit eos et auditis illis dixit non esse mentis S.mi nec sue mentis quod Niccolo Clinca admiteretur att.a renuntiationem per eum facta de dicto loco et quod ipse instabat pro eo intuitu ammotus et ipsius [?] Niccolo Clinca et non intendebat preiudecare collegium nullo modo.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: CELANI, p. 103; FREY, Die Diarien, p. 138; ROSTIROLLA , p. 163.