MUSIC IN IVREA IN MIDDLE AGES

In the year 825 the Emperor Lothair Ist (795-855) established centers of higher education in various cities of Italy like Ivrea. From X to XII century people could see to a continuous and deep reorganization of political structures with the full affirmation of local rules. At the two extremes of this period there are wide territories coordinated by a power that has in Turin as its principal centre: on the one side the "marca arduinica" of the X century, on the other the principality of the House of Savoy of the late Middle Ages. Around these dynasties, courts were progressively formed  and, in the late Middle Ages  these became the main centers of cultural elaboration and diffusion, even though it was mainly a culture centred on power.

In this situation Ivrea enjoyed its exceptional autonomy under   bishop's Warmondo guidance (969-1011). Warmondo made the first church, that was built in 350 on a pagan temple to Apollo, destroyed and had it built again in Romanesque style. So the Cathedral of Ivrea was born where music had a very important role.

The birth of the "Scholae Cantorum" had a fundamental importance; there were schools of choristers who learnt Gregorian chants by heart. One mustn't think that these only held a sacred importance because they were, in the opinion of eminent researchers, higher schools attended by laymen and clergymen where, in addition to music, literature, arts and sciences were taught, one can only remember the precious codes  kept today in the Capitular Library of Ivrea (one of the most important of northern Italy  together with the ones of Verona, Monza, Vercelli, Milano and Novara) and in particular the musical ones,a  source for studies  for Italian and foreign people.

There is no certain evidence about the first musical performance in the church of Ivrea, but surely with the constitution of the Capitolo and the election of choristers, belonging to the clergy, chants and music began. We only know for certain that at first, choristers lived in a commune and then  everyone on his own, and that by 1041 they were regularly organised. Through the centuries a lot of different people responsible for the choir  succeeded one another in the choirstalls of the cathedral: the canonical choristers, chapel-masters, organists, choristers. Normally the group was composed of seminarists but also by a lot of laymen involved in choirs with relevant contracts of capitulation.

The most ancient evidence in Ivrea of a  musical  nature could be traced back to the IX century. It isn't a collection of passages with notation, but indications relevant to the chanting  of the Passion during the holy week. In addition to the entire liturgic-musical codes, the Capitular Library of Ivrea still has a number of liturgic fragments that are of musical interest.