The Sala della Musica dell'Ospedaletto in Venice
Sala della Musica The music room of the Ospedaletto (now part of the Santi Giovanni e Paolo rest home) was built in 1776-77, when this hospital functioned as an orphanage.
All abandoned children aged between a few days and 12 years were taken in and educated.
Outside school hours, the boys were taught carpentry and the girls were taught singing.
The most gifted gave concerts, while the others helped with the hospital chores and learned how to run a house.
Fresco of the Concerto Until the 18th century, young orphan girls sang in church, and parishioners who greatly appreciated their talents were generous to the Ospedaletto.
Unfortunately, the economic crisis considerably limited the number of donors and it was decided to restrict the number of listeners to the benefactors of the Ospedaletto.
As a result, the music room where chamber music concerts were given was reserved for those who could afford to pay, as well as for distinguished guests of the Serenissima who came on solemn visits.
It was also used for musical instruction by some of the finest masters of the 17th and 18th centuries such as Giovanni Legrenzi, Nicolo Porpora, Tommaso Traetta, Antonio Sacchini, Domenico Cimarosa.
Pasquale Anfossi One of them, Pasquale Anfossi, is depicted in the fresco at the back behind two young girls singing at the feet of a rascally-looking Apollo, who is happily leading all these damsels around.
The frescoes are by Jacopo Guarana, whose work is complemented, as was common often done at the time, by a trompe-l'œil scenography by Agostino Mengozzi Colonna who left his signature on the fresco at the back, giving the impression that two of the Ospedaletto's young boarders are leaning over curiously to get a better look at the visitors...
Perhaps that's what they were doing behind the grilles and curtains that hid them from the view of visitors, who would have loved to see if these young girls were as beautiful as their voices!
Young girls behind the gate They were on the upper floor, in a small room that could only accommodate a dozen singers accompanied by three or four musicians: a small attic with no comforts, which contrasted with the audition room whose ceiling depicted the triumph of music (Trionfo della Musica), was nevertheless the sole source of all this beauty.
An Englishman, Charles Burney has left us an account of a concert at the church of Santa Maria dei Derelitti (six years before the music hall itself was built).
The one he had admired most that evening was Francesca Adriana Grabrieli, known as "La Ferrarese".
Here is the account given by Charles Burney during his visit to the Ospedaletto on 14 August 1770:
Fresco of the Concerto
“An oratorio was performed in Latin, the Macchabæorum Mater; the music was by Sacchini; there were six singers, the role of lead singer was held by Francesca Gabrieli.
The oratorio was divided into two parts: the first was already finished when I arrived, which I regretted, because what remained totally delighted me, both in terms of the composition, which was excellent, and the singing, which was of infinite merit.
When I entered the church, the Ferrarese was performing the recitative admirably in a unique way; it ended with a bravura piece, with a pathetic second part in the style of Jomelli's oratorios, but very different from that of his arias.
There was also a rather slow recitative sung by Laura Conti, who did not possess a very powerful voice; more a chamber opera voice; but her exquisitely tasteful expression charmed me.
Triumph of Music [...] The songs I had heard in the hospital that evening, like those of the Incurabili, I am sure, would have been loudly applauded in the greatest opera house in Europe.”
Charles Burney - Present State of Music in France and Italy 1773
La Ferrarese enjoyed an international career, singing the works of the greatest musicians of the time such as Salieri and Mozart.
She was also, in Vienna, the mistress of Lorenzo Da Ponte, the famous librettist of Mozart.
La Ferrarese left Lorenzo da Ponte without remorse when he fell into disgrace after the death of his patron Joseph II.
The only slight disappointment in this rather moving visit: we don't hear any music that would make us appreciate the acoustic qualities of the Sala della Musica!
To visit the Ospedaletto's music room
Back to Top of Page