Santini's Network

Santini's Network (original title: La Rete di Santini) (2014) is a biographical film by German filmmaker Georg Brintrup on the life of Roman music collector Fortunato Santini (1777–1861) and how his famous private assembly of manuscript scores grew into the greatest music collection of the age.

Santini’s Network
filmset in the Cathedral Church of Saint Paul
Directed byGeorg Brintrup
Produced byLichtspiel Entertainment
Wulf-Ernst Hoffer
Westdeutscher Rundfunk
Written byGeorg Brintrup
Mario Di Desidero
StarringRenato Scarpa
CinematographyBenjamin Hasenclever
Marco Leopardi
Diego D'Innocenzo
Dieter Fietzke
Alessandro Iafulla
Valerio Cesaroni
Edited byGeorg Brintrup
Release date
April 9, 2014
Running time
85 minutes
CountryItaly / Germany
LanguageItalian, German, English

Plot

The subject portrays an extraordinary story and a fascinating itinerary of survival through unusual episodes in the progress of culture. When, at the turn of the eighteenth century, the Roman clergyman, Fortunato Santini, played by Italian actor Renato Scarpa, discovers at the age of twenty his fervent passion for music, he decides to dedicate the rest of his life to collecting the manuscript scores of the great composers, either autographs in their own hand or scores written out by professional copyists. These manuscripts kept and preserved the heritage of musical works until their reproduction and publication as printed scores. Over the course of fifty years his music collection swelled to 20,000 titles in 4,500 manuscripts and 1,200 printed copies, making it the most comprehensive collection of its kind anywhere.[1] Santini's secret in preserving all these important works from the history of European music is the elaborate network of friends and acquaintances that he builds. Beginning in the libraries and among the cognoscenti of Italy, its reach extends throughout Europe, stretching from Rome to Vienna, from Paris to London, from Berlin to Moscow. Through his networking skills during his lifetime Santini became an international celebrity in the world of music Compositions of the first importance in music history, otherwise at risk of disappearing into oblivion, were rescued and preserved through his unremitting efforts.

The film deals not only with the inception and growth of Santini's precious collection, but also with its conservation after his death. In 1862 the collection was purchased and transported from Italy to the city of Münster in Germany and lay there forgotten for 40 years. Then in 1902 this trove was rediscovered and brought to the attention of the public through by the work of Edward Dent, the distinguished British musicologist. Subsequently, the collection was saved from firebombs during World War II , and though partially damaged after the war by a devastating flood, the irreplaceable musical opus of Santini has survived.

Cast

Film music

The Soundtrack is composed of musical pieces from Santini's collection, some performed for the first time under conductor Favio Colusso by the Ensemble Seicentonovecento.

Nr. Author Titel
1.Antonio LottiCrucifixus
2.Tomás Luis de VictoriaSalve Regina
3.Cristóbal de MoralesLamentabatur Jacob
4.Giacomo CarissimiJephte, Plorate filii Israel
5.Antonio CaldaraKyrie from the Missa Dolorosa
6.Francesco DuranteLamentationes Jeremiae Prophetae
7.PalestrinaKyrie from the Missa Ut-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La
8.Giovanni Battista MartiniSonata g-minor for Organ, Sarabanda
9.PalestrinaAleph III
10.Carl Heinrich GraunDer Tod Jesu
11.Georg Friedrich HändelNon esce un guardo mai
12.Georg Friedrich HändelResurrezione
13.Alessandro MelaniMagnificat
14.Johann Sebastian BachPassio secundum Joannem
15.Fortunato SantiniTe Deum a Due Cori
16.Domenico ScarlattiSonatas in f-Minor K. 519
17.Francesco DuranteRequiem Lacrimosa
18.Alessandro ScarlattiAgar et Ismaele esiliati, grave
19.Domenico Scarlattisonata in f-Minor L.281 K.239
20.Georg Friedrich HändelIsrael in Egypt / a thick darkness
21.Fortunato SantiniSancte Paule Apostole

Some other background music was composed by Flavio Colusso.

Release and reception

Santini’s Network premiered at the Auditorium of Santa Maria dell’Anima in Rome on 1 April 2014 [2] and in Münster's Schloßtheater on 9 April 2014.[3] Film critic Günter Moseler: "A great film about a modest life for the future of Early Music." (Ein großer Film über ein kleines Leben für die Zukunft Alter Musik.).[4] First broadcast was in Westdeutscher Rundfunk on 28 April 2014.

References
  1. Peter Schmitz and Andrea Ammendola (editors): Sammeln – Komponieren – Bearbeiten. Der römische Abbate Fortunato Santini im Spiegel seines Schaffens [Catalog of the Fortunato Santini exhibition in Münster, from September 15 to December 31, 2011], Münster 2011
  2. "La Via dell’Anima" Tesori musicali da Roma a Münster, 2014 (pdf)
  3. http://www.muenster.org/filmwerkstatt/2014/03/santinis-netzwerk-von-georg-brintrup.html
  4. "Verrückt nach Musik" (Crazy for Music) in Münstersche Zeitung on April 11, 2014
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