Repertoire

Salamon Rossi spent his entire professional career in Mantua, most likely employed by the Gonzaga court. Although there are no extant documents to prove Rossi’s position at court, there are records of occasional payments. In 1606, Duke Vincenzo Gonzaga freed Rossi of the requirement to wear the yellow badge imposed on the Jewish community of the city, and this privilege was renewed in 1612 by the new duke, Francesco I I. After Duke Vincenzo’s death, Rossi’s connection with the court lessened as musical life at the court declined. He was occasionally hired to play the viol at special court events, but his principal professional connections were probably with one of the Jewish theatrical troupes that played a significant role in Mantual theatrical life. Scholars believe that Rossi perished in 1630 when a severe plague followed the attack on Mantua and the destruction of its ghetto by Ferdinand II of Prussia (the Holy Roman Emperor). This belief is further supported by the fact that his last work was published in 1628.

Rossi published several books of madrigals, balletti, and conzonets, as well as four books of various instrumental works. In the instrumental genre, he contributed significantly to the trio sonata repertoire and may even be the creator of the form, as some scholars claim. Rossi’s Hashirim asher lish’lomo (The Songs of Solomon) is a collection of songs in Hebrew and Aramaic published in 1622-23. The title is p robably a pun on the composer’s name, since none of the texts comes from the Old Testament’s book of love songs “Song of Solomon,” but are mostly psalms, with some hymns and other liturgical songs. The influences of Gastoldi, Monteverdi and the composers of the Venetian school of polychoral music are clearly audible.

For more information about the life and music of Salamon Rossi, check out these other websites:

Salamone Rossi Hebreo

The Zamir Chorale of Boston maintains a web page on Salamon Rossi. Includes an extensive bibliography and resources on Jewish music.