PORTA, COSTANZO. - Conventual Franciscan, musician, b. at Cremona in 1505, d. at Padua on 26 May 1601. He was later director, often also founder or reformer, of the musical chapels in various churches of Italy: at the cathedral of Osimo from 1552 to 1564, at the Santo in Padua from 3 Jan. 1565, twice at the metropolitan church of Ravenna (1567-74 and 1579-85), at the S. Casa of Loreto (1575-78) and again at Padua, from 1 Apr. 1585 until his death.
Among the copious production, for the most part sacred, of the P. [Padre] the following are remembered: Musica in Introitus missorum, for 5 voices, for the Sundays of the year (Venice 1566, 2nd ed. 1588); Missorum liber primus, 12 masses for 3, 4, and 5 voices (ibid. 1578); Litoniae Deiparae V. M., for 8 voices (ibid. 1575); Musica... in nonnulla ex sacris litteris collecta verba, for 6 voices (3 vols., ibid. 1571-85); Liber 52 motectorum, for 4 to 8 voices (ibid. 1580); various books of Madrigali for 5 voices, etc. There appeared posthumously: Hymnodia sacra totius per anni circulum, for 4 voices (ibid. 1602), and Psalmodia vespertina omnium solemnitatum... cum quattuor canticis B. V., for 8 voices, except for one canticle for 16 voices (ibid. 1605). His works are also found printed in collections of Orlando di Lasso, G. B. Zuccarini, etc.
A distinguished composer and director, he promoted together with Palestrina in several places the execution of the Tridentine decrees on music. He was also a valiant theorist (a Tractatus de contrepuncto of his, in manuscript, is preserved at the Liceo musicale of Bologna). His polyphony is distinguished by richness of counterpoint and canonic developments, and by notable power of expression.
Bibliography7 works
Lorenzo Di Fonzo