THE STRANGE ADVENTURES OF STRADELLA
There are historians, sour and cynical, who have tried to contradict the
truth of the life story of Stradella as Bourdelot tells it in his
"Histoire de la Musique et de ses Effets," but they cannot offer us any
satisfactory substitute in its place, and without troubling to give
their merely destructive complaints, and without attempting to improve
upon the pompously fascinating English of old Sir John Hawkins, I will
quote the story for your delectation.
Certain it is that there was a composer named Stradella, and that he was
an opera composer to the Venetian Republic, as well as a frequent singer
upon the stage to his own harp accompaniments. He occupies a position in
musical history of some importance. The following story of his
adventures is no more improbable than many a story we read in the daily
newspapers--and surely no one could question the credibility of the
daily newspapers. But here is the story as Hawkins tells it. As the
cook-books say, salt it to your taste.
"His character as a musician was so high at Venice, that all who were
desirous of excelling in the science were solicitous to become his
pupils. Among the many whom he had the instruction of, was one, a young
lady of a noble family of Rome, named Hortensia, who, notwithstanding
her illustrious descent, submitted to live in a criminal intimacy with a
Venetian nobleman. The frequent access of Stradella to this lady, and
the many opportunities he had of being alone with her, produced in them
both such an affection for each other, that they agreed to go off
together for Rome. In consequence of this resolution they embarked in a
very fine night, and by the favour of the wind effected their escape.
"Upon the discovery of the lady's flight, the Venetian had recourse to
the usual method in that country of obtaining satisfaction for real or
supposed injuries: he despatched two assassins, with instructions to
murder both Stradella and the lady, giving them a sum of money in hand,
and a promise of a larger if they succeeded in the attempt. Being
arrived at Naples, the assassins received intelligence that those whom
they were in pursuit of were at Rome, where the lady passed as the wife
of Stradella. Upon this they determined to execute their commission,
wrote to their employer, requesting letters of recommendation to the
Venetian embassador at Rome, in order to secure an asylum for them to
fly to, as soon as the deed should be perpetrated.
"Upon the receipt of letters for this purpose, the assassins made the
best of their way toward Rome; and being arrived there, they learned
that on the morrow, at five in the evening, Stradella was to give an
oratorio in the church of San Giovanni Laterano. They failed not to be
present at the performance, and had concerted to follow Stradella and
his mistress out of the church, and, seizing a convenient opportunity,
to make the blow. The performance was now begun, and these men had
nothing to do but to watch the motions of Stradella, and attend to the
music, which they had scarce begun to hear, before the suggestions of
humanity began to operate upon their minds; they were seized with
remorse, and reflected with horror on the thought of depriving of his
life a man capable of giving to his auditors such pleasure as they had
just then felt.
"In short, they desisted from their purpose, and determined, instead of
taking away his life, to exert their endeavours for the preservation of
it; they waited for his coming out of the church, and courteously
addressed him and the lady, who was by his side, first returning him
thanks for the pleasure they had received at hearing his music, and
informed them both of the errand they had been sent upon; expatiating
upon the irresistible charms, which of savages had made them men, and
had rendered it impossible for them to effect their execrable purpose;
and concluded with their earnest advice that Stradella and the lady
should both depart from Rome the next day, themselves promising to
deceive their employer, and forego the remainder part of their reward,
by making him believe that Stradella and his lady had quitted Rome on
the morning of their arrival.
"Having thus escaped the malice of their enemy, the two lovers took an
immediate resolution to fly for safety to Turin, and soon arrived there.
The assassins being returned to Venice, reported to their employer that
Stradella and Hortensia had fled from Rome, and taken shelter in the
city of Turin, a place where the laws were very severe, and which,
excepting the houses of embassadors, afforded no protection for
murderers; they represented to him the difficulty of getting these two
persons assassinated, and, for their own parts, notwithstanding their
engagements, declined the enterprise. This disappointment, instead of
allaying, served to sharpen the resentment of the Venetian: he had found
means to attach to his interest the father of Hortensia, and, by various
arguments, to inspire him with a resolution to become the murderer of
his own daughter. With this old man, no less malevolent and vindictive
than himself, the Venetian associated two ruffians, and dispatched them
all three to Turin, fully inspired with a resolution of stabbing
Stradella and the old man's daughter wherever they found them. The
Venetian also furnished them with letters from Mons. l'Abbé d'Estrades,
then embassador of France at Venice, addressed to the Marquis of
Villars, the French embassador at Turin. The purport of these letters
was a recommendation of the bearers of them, who were therein
represented to be merchants, to the protection of the embassador, if at
any time they should stand in need of it.
"The Duchess of Savoy was at that time regent; and she having been
informed of the arrival of Stradella and Hortensia, and the occasion of
their precipitate flight from Rome; and knowing the vindictive temper of
the Venetians, placed the lady in a convent, and retained Stradella in
her palace as her principal musician. In a situation of such security as
this seemed to be, Stradella's fears for the safety of himself and his
mistress began to abate, till one evening, walking for the air upon the
ramparts of the city, he was set upon by the three assassins above
mentioned, that is to say, the father of Hortensia, and the two
ruffians, who each gave him a stab with a dagger in the breast, and
immediately betook themselves to the house of the French embassador as
to a sanctuary.
"The attack on Stradella having been made in the sight of numbers of
people, who were walking in the same place, occasioned an uproar in the
city, which soon reached the ears of the duchess: she ordered the gates
to be shut, and diligent search to be made for the three assassins; and
being informed that they had taken refuge in the house of the French
embassador, she went to demand them. The embassador insisting on the
privileges which those of his function claimed from the law of nations,
refused to deliver them up. In the interim Stradella was cured of his
wounds, and the Marquis de Villars, to make short of the question about
privilege, and the rights of embassadors, suffered the assassins to
escape.
"From this time, finding himself disappointed of his revenge, but not
the least abated in his ardour to accomplish it, this implacable
Venetian contented himself with setting spies to watch the motions of
Stradella. A year was elapsed after the cure of his wounds; no fresh
disturbance had been given to him, and he thought himself secure from
any further attempts on his life. The duchess regent, who was concerned
for the honour of her sex, and the happiness of two persons who had
suffered so much, and seemed to have been born for each other, joined
the hands of Stradella and his beloved Hortensia, and they were married.
"After the ceremony Stradella and his wife having a desire to visit the
port of Genoa, went thither with a resolution to return to Turin: the
assassins having intelligence of their departure, followed them close at
their heels. Stradella and his wife, it is true, reached Genoa, but the
morning after their arrival these three execrable villains rushed into
their chamber, and stabbed each to the heart. The murderers had taken
care to secure a bark which lay in the port; to this they retreated, and
made their escape from justice, and were never heard of more.
"Mr. Berenclow says that when the report of Stradella's assassination
reached the ears of Purcell, and he was informed jealousy was the motive
to it, he lamented his fate exceedingly; and, in regard of his great
merit as a musician, said he could have forgiven him any injury in that
kind; which, adds the relater, 'those who remember how lovingly Mr.
Purcell lived with his wife, or rather what a loving wife she proved to
him, may understand without farther explication.'"