Pitoni, Giuseppe Ottavio

1657-1743

Musician of the Roman School; born at Rieti and died at Rome. At five years of age he began to study music at Pompeo Natale's School in Rome, and later was a choir-boy at San Giovanni de' Fiorentini and at the SS. Apostoli. He received lessons in counterpoint from Foggia. In 1673 he was appointed chapelmaster of Terra di Rotondo, and later in the same capacity at Assisi scored Palestrina's works in order to study his style. In 1676 he returned as chapelmaster to his birthplace, but the next year went back to Rome to take his place at the Collegio di San Marco, where he remained until his death. He also conducted the music of   San Apollinare and San Lorenzo in Damasco, San Giovanni in Laterano and St. Peter's. A large number of his works in manuscript are still preserved in the different Italian libraries, and in Proske's Musica Divina are found a mass and requiem; six motets; a psalm; a hymn; and a Christus fatus est. His Dixit is given every year at St. Peter's during Holy Week. He also wrote a service book for the entire year for St. Peter's, many masses and psalms and a history of the chapelmasters of Rome from 1500 to 1700. As a teacher  Pitoni was renowned, and among his pupils were Durante, Leo and Feo, all great teachers in their time.