The early baroque songs, or cantatas, of Luigi Rossi (1597-1653) are largely absent from the canon of standard Italian vocal repertory utilized by young singers and voice teachers today. In this document Rossi’s composition style is considered, along with modern edition trends, within the emerging genre of Italian early baroque song. Several of Luigi Rossi’s vocal works — chosen for their simplicity, brevity, dramatic content, and suitability for a young singer — are presented in modern transcriptions for voice and piano. The following document lays the groundwork for the inclusion of Luigi Rossi’s songs in the modern canon of Italian vocal music. Part I provides an introduction to Luigi Rossi and the considerations involved in creating modern editions of early baroque solo vocal music. In Chapter 1, Rossi’s patronage and compositional output are considered along with the reception and dissemination of his works in Italy and France. Chapter 2 of this study explores the historical context and lasting influence of Parisotti’s Arie Antiche, the larger collection from which the ubiquitous Schirmer edition, Twenty-four Italian Songs and Arias of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries, is drawn. One well-known song that appears in the Schirmer edition is Giulio Caccini’s Amarilli, mia bella. In an effort to illustrate trends in modern editions and performance practice, this song is traced from its first appearance in 1602 through representations in modern anthologies. Chapter 3 considers the practical concerns of modern editors of baroque vocal music – such as performance practice applications, ornamentation, and pedagogical considerations – with respect to the cantatas of Luigi Rossi. Chapter 4 discusses the three cantatas by Luigi Rossi that are presented in Part II as performance editions.

Housed among the anonymous manuscripts in the Barberini Collection of the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Oratorio per la Settimana Santa is a prototypical example of oratorio volgare (Italian-language oratorio) from mid-seventeenth-century Rome. Written in two parts and scored for two violins, continuo, three- and five-part chorus, and soli, this oratorio was once attributed to Luigi Rossi (c.1598-1653) and was believed to be composed during his service to the Barberini family prior to their departure from Rome in 1645, though this attribution has since been called into question. Regardless, Oratorio per la Settimana Santa holds an important place in the development of the Roman oratorio as a genre as well as that of the Passion, specifically the Passion oratorio. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that Oratorio per la Settimana Santa can be made accessible to modern choral-instrumental ensembles through the creation of an historically informed performance edition of the work that incorporates the latest scholarship on editorial and performing practices of the early Baroque. This document provides the background information that is most relevant to the creation of the edition and an informed performance. As well, it offers a discussion of the editorial practices that were used in the creation of the edition and a presentation of select performance-practice considerations that should be taken into account when producing a performance of the oratorio. The document culminates with a performance edition of Oratorio per la Settimana Santa in its entirety with accompanying edition notes.