The Council of Basel was a celebrated oecumenical council of the church convoked by Pope Martin V and his successor Eugenius IV. It was opened on the 14th of December 1431, under the presidency of the Cardinal Legate Juliano Cesarini of St Angelo. The objects of its deliberations were to extirpate heresies (that of the Hussites in particular), to unite all Christian nations under the Catholic church, to put a stop to wars between Christian princes, and to reform the church. But its first steps towards a peaceable reconciliation with the Hussites were displeasing to the pope, who authorized the cardinal legate to dissolve the council. That body opposed the pretensions of the pope, and, notwithstanding his repeated orders to remove to Italy, continued its deliberations under the protection of the emperor Sigismund, of the Overman princes, and of France. On the pope continuing to issue bulls for its dissolution the council commenced a formal process against him, and cited him to appear at its bar. On his refusal to comply with this demand the council declared him guilty of contumacy, and, after Eugenius had opened a counter-synod at Ferrara, decreed his suspension from the papal chair on January the 24th, 1438.
The removal of Eugenius, however, seemed so impracticable, that some prelates, who until then had been the boldest and most influential speakers in the council, including the Cardinal Legate Juliano, left Basel, and went over to the party of Eugenius. The Archbishop of Aries, Cardinal Louis Allemand, was now made first president of the council, and directed its proceedings with much vigour. In May, 1439, it declared Eugenius, on account of his disobedience of its decrees, a heretic, and formally deposed him. Excommunicated by Eugenius, they proceeded, in a regular conclave, to elect the dukeAmadeus of Savoy to the papal chair. Felix V - the name he adopted - was acknowledged by only a few princes, cities, and universities. After this the moral power of the council declined; its last formal session was held on May the 16th, 1443, though it was not technically dissolved until May the 7th, 1449, when it gave in its adhesion to Nicholas V, the successor of Eugenius. The decrees of the Council of Basel are admitted into none of the Roman collections, and are considered of no authority by the Roman lawyers. They are regarded, however, as of authority in points of canon law in France and Germany, as their regulations for the reformation of the church have been adopted in the pragmatic sanctions of both countries, and, as far as they regard clerical discipline, have been actually enforced. Research Council of Basel
The Italian order of Knights of the Annunciation, was instituted by Amadeus VI, duke of Savoy, in 1360. The king was always grand-master. The knights must be of high rank, and must already be members of the order of St Mauritius and St Lazarus. The decoration of the order consists of a golden shield suspended to a chain or collar of roses and knots, the letters F. E. R. T. being inscribed on the roses, and standing for Fortitudoejus Rhodum tenuit (its bravery held Rhodes). Research Knights of the Annunciation
Amadeus, Duke of Aosta, was for a short time King of Spain. He was born in 1845 and died in 1890. He was the second son of Victor Emanuel of Italy, and brother of Humbert I, King of Italy. He was chosen by the Cortes King of Spain in 1870, Queen Isabella having had to leave the country in 1868. He made his entrance into Madrid as king on January the 2nd, 1871, and took the oath to the constitution. His position was far from comfortable, however, and having little hope of becoming acceptable to all parties, he abdicated on the llth of February 1873. Research Amadeus
Johann Christian Bach was a German composer. He was born in 1735 at Leipzig and died in 1782. He was given his first musical training by his father (Johann Sebastian Bach). In 1750, when his father died, he went to Berlin to study with his brother Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. He spent eight years in Italy, from 1754 to 1760 as music director for Count Antonio Litta in Milan and then from 1760 to 1762 as organist at the MilanCathedral. During this period he also studied in Bologna with the Italian composer Giovanni Battista Martini. In 1762 Bach settled in London and soon became music master to the queen. Part of his success was the result of his mastery of the pleasant, tuneful style of Italian opera, which was then fashionable in London. From 1764 until his death he and another German composer living in London, Carl Friedrich Abel produced a series of concerts that were famous because of the composers who wrote for them. One was the seven-year old prodigy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Bach himself wrote about a dozen operas and many symphonies, concertos, piano pieces, and chamber music. Research Johann Christian Bach
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer. He was born in 1770 at Bonn and died in 1827. At a very early stage his father sensed his talent and forced piano and violin lessons on him in the hope of creating a prodigy who would keep the family in luxury. When the widowed and frequently drunken father was dismissed from his post, Ludwig at the age of nineteen found himself responsible for the upkeep of his father, two brothers, and a sister who died while young. He gave lessons and played viola in the Operaorchestra until, under the patronage of Count Waldstein, and possibly with a recommendation from Joseph Haydn, he was given introductions to contacts in Vienna, where he spent most of the rest of his life. Other distinguished patrons were, in the fashion and necessity of the time, to receive dedications from Beethoven in subsequent years, though his wayward and often boorish temperament led him to quarrel with many of them and with many musicians, relatives and friends. A key figure within the Romantic movement,
Beethoven broke with all previous traditions of patronage and servitude. Not for him the steady employment of Joseph Haydn, the humiliations of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart at the hands of archbishops, or the deference of composer and player to petty princelings: he believed that a great artist should be free to create without the constraints of regular employment. He accepted a small regular income from three noblemen without ever deigning to bow to their dictates; and when an audience failed to treat him with the adoration to which he felt entitled, as when they laughed after he had knocked over a couple of candles while performing one of his own concertos at a concert, he was capable of storming off the stage and refusing to reappear. In his own time he was more highly regarded as a pianist than as a composer, especially as an improviser in aristocratic houses and the concert hall. It was not unreasonable that during such highly acclaimed recitals he should introduce piano and chamber works of his own.
The passion of his playing, his compositions, and his rough speech entranced many wealthy listeners and patrons; but at the same time the mere whiff of such patronage was enough to enrage the composer. He met many attractive and well-to-do women, and seems to have fallen in love with quite a number; but his gaucheness made it impossible for him ever to pursue these desires, and he never married. In 1801 he started to go deaf and by 1819 it was impossible for anyone to hold a conversation with him. He composed five piano concertos, a violinconcerto, sonatas, nine symphonies, chamber music and other pieces. Research Ludwig van Beethoven
Muzio Clementi was an Italian composer. He was born in 1752 and died in 1832. As young as twelve years old he wrote a successful mass for four voices, and had made such progress in the pianoforte that an Englishman, Mr. Beckford, took him to England to complete his studies. He was then engaged as director of the orchestra of the opera in London, and his fame having rapidly increased he went in 1780 to Paris, and in 1781 to Vienna, where he played with Mozart before the emperor. In 1784 he repeated his visit to Paris, but after that remained in England until 1802, when he went back to the Continent. He returned in 1810 to England, where he settled down as superintendent of one of the principal musical establishments in London.
He is best known for his Gradus ad Parnassum pianoforte studies. He was a brilliant pianist, competing with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in a contest at Vienna in 1781. After a brilliant career as a concert pianist he established in London the music-publishing and pianoforte manufacturing business which became Collard & Collard. Research Muzio Clementi
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was an Austrian composer. He was born in 1756 at Salzburg and died in 1791. He began his career at the age of four and toured Europe when he was six. In 1781 he settled in Vienna and became friends with Joseph Haydn. He composed Chamber music, concertos, operas (Magic Flute, Marriage of Figaro) and 41 symphonies. Research Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
F Murray Abraham is an American actor and film director. He was born in 1939 at Pittsburgh. He is perhaps best known as the talking leaf from Fruit of the Loom TV commercials. In 1984 he was awarded the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award of Best Actor, won an oscar and won the Golden Globe award for best actor, for playing the second rate composer, Antonio Salieri, who competed with the young musical genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in the film Amadeus. Research F Murray Abraham
Abbreviations
Research Council of Basel
