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Records of Early English Drama/ Victoria College/ 150 Charles Street W
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---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 7 Oct 1997 22:16:56 -0400
From: Katherine McGinnis <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: "FICINO: FICINO Discussion - Renaissance and Reformation Studies"
<[log in to unmask]>
To: Multiple recipients of list FICINO <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Gift Economy or ?
Dear Ficinans -
I sent this query in June and received only one response. I thought that
perhaps many of you were on vacation so I am submitting it again.
I am writing a dissertation concerned with the social and economic lives
of 16th century Milanese dancing masters. In part, I am trying to look at
the process of professionalization of this relatively newly specialized
activity.
My central figure, Cesare Negri, author of Le Gratie d'Amore (1602),
apparently achieved a quite comfortable economic status, but the only
source of income I can find is generous gifts that he claims to have
received after various performances. He had at least two governors as
patrons -- the Duke of Sessa and the Marchese d'Ayamonte --, but does not
mention any patrons for the many years between and after. It was during
the governorship of Ayamonte that Negri acquired a house in the parish of
S Salvatore in Xenodochio, the "casa del trombone," in which his family
remained at least until 1610, after his death. He seems to have acquired
his sobriquet, "detto il trombone," during this period and he kept it,
using it on the title page of his manual. At this time, I have found no
suggestion that he ever played or taught the trombone and he is not given
this name in earlier records.
His home in S Salvatore in Xenodochioa was presumably demolished for the
Galleria, if not before. If anyone has any thoughts on pre-Galleria
photographs or detailed maps that could help me further in locating Negri,
I would be grateful for that.
I have not yet found any archival mention of payment for his
presentations in 1598 and 1599, after his patronage relationships
apparently ended, although I have found plenty of documentation of payment
by state officials at that time for other kinds of related festival
expenses, including comedies. I have also found no records of payment
for instruction or other kinds of business expenses related to his career
as dancing master.
One avenue that I would like to pursue is that perhaps dancing masters
simply weren't yet that "professionalized" and their remuneration took
place entirely within the "gift economy." No receipts. No budget. No
accounts. Unfortunately, dancing masters were not able to obtain
benefices.
If anyone could suggest secondary sources on the gift economy or on
emerging categories of professional activity, particularly in late
Renaissance Italy, or on related economic and social issues, or on studies
comparable to mine on other artists and artisans, I would appreciate it
very much.
Thank you.
Katherine McGinnis
UNC-Chapel Hill
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