1609

Prince Francesco, setting up his court as governor of the Mantuan province of Monferrato, seeks assistance of Ercole Gonzaga in hiring group of pifferi from Cremona (Kurtzman, Trombe). Claudio Monteverdi is also engaged in assisting Prince Francesco, and refers to the players he is recruiting in a letter to the court secretary: “You will be doing me a kindness by letting the said Prince know that I have spoken to those cornett and trombone players [“sonatori di cornetto et trombone”], as he commissioned me to do, and that they told me they will come and serve His Highness, but on these two conditions: one, that they would like to be helped by His Highness with letters of request to the Count of Fuentes (or to whom it my concern) so that they can draw some wages which fall due after the Count of Fuentes leaves for the state of Milan; and so that Your Lordship may understand, these wages are due because they play in the castle at Cremona. And the other point is that the father and two sons who play all the wind instruments would each like 12 scudi a month. I objected to this at once, and told them that His Highness would go up to eight, with which (it seems to me) they should be contented. They have not said either yes or no about it. The two others, because they are not as competent as these three, could I believe be had for less salary. They play together well and readily both dance and chamber music, since they practise every day” (Stevens Letters 64).