Persons known by name
Canova, Francesco (da Milano)
Francesco Canova da Milano
- 1497-08-18 (Molza) – 1543-04-15 (unknown)
- most famous lutist of the Italian Renaissance, but also played viol and organ and was a famous composer, but there are also poems by Francesco included in several collections of the time (and later)
- his teacher may have been G. A. Testagrossa, lutist of Beatrice and Isabella d'Este
- after c. 1510 maybe in the service of Francesco II Gonzaga in Mantova
- worked in Rome from c. 1520 in the services of:
- Isabella d'Este,
- pope Leo X,
- pope Urban VI (?),
- pope Clemens VII
- pope Paul III with whom he travelled to Nizza (meeting with Charles V and Francois I, who donated to Francesco a big amount of money: "...en don et faveur du plaisir qu'il a donné au Roy..." [Paris, Arch. Nat., J.961, f. 238)])
- cardinal Ippolito d'Este (ca. 1530 – 1535)
- cardinal Alessandro Farnese «tra i "gentilihomini et camerieri" del cardinale»
- lute teacher to Ottavio Farnese (later duke of Parma)
- in c. 1528 (and later?) in Northern Italy, probably Modena
- may have stayed for a longer period in France, at Paris, because he is called in some source "Francesco da Parigi"
- was praised by many contemporaries like Antonfrancesco Doni (La seconda libraria, Venezia 1551, p. 12), and lutist Vincenzo Galilei (Intavolatura de lauto di Vincenzo Galileo fiorentino,madrigali,e ricercati, libro primo, Roma 1563 f. A2)
- Aretino praises him in his comedy "Il Marescalco" (act 5, scene 3) together with (among others) Michelangelo and Claudio Tolomei. (The figure praising him is called "il Pedante" and may be identifyable with Paolo Giovio: "Ego habeo in cathalogo tutti i nomi virorum et mulierum illustrium…")
- in the 1536 edition of Francesco's works by Marcolini da Forlì, the publisher writes in his dedication "ai Musici": "...la soavità del concento che partoriva il liuto tocco dalle divine dita di Francesco Milanese..., con ilfarsi sentir ne l'anima,rubava i sensi di chi l'ascoltava" = ".. the sweetness of the concento that gave birth to the lute touched by the divine fingers of Francesco Milanese ..., by making itself felt in the soul, stole the senses of those who listened to it."
- Francesco was also famous for his ability to transfer complex polyphonic compositions to the lute, like: "Ia Guerre" by Clement Janequin (in his transcription called "La Battaglia francese"), the "Chant des Oiseaux" by Janequin (= "Canzone de gli uccelli") and even Josquin's "Stabat Mater".
- Because of his knowledge of music theory (as a composer) and his (supposedly) regular participation in the evening meals in the household of cardinals Ippolito d'Este and Alessandro Farnese it may be safely assumed that he contributed to the discussions about architecture and the role music and musical proportions played in it.
- Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani
