Giovanni Rovetta began his musical career as a boy soprano in St. Mark's Cathedral, where his father had already been working from 1605. He was an instrumentalist there from 1615 to 1617. On December 17, 1623, he was appointed bass cantor and finally, on November 22, 1626, vice-chapelmaster. The conductor at the time was Claudio Monteverdi, who also taught Rovetta. Rovetta was also active in other areas of Venetian musical life, from 1635 he was ''maestro di musica'' at the Ospedale dei Dereletti (called Ospedaletto) and from 1639 at the Ospedale dei Mendicanti. As an ordained priest, he belonged to the Congregazione di S. Silvestro. Rovetta, known as “Signor Rueti”, replaced Monteverdi in 1644 after he was defeated in the competition by Orazio Benevoli and Giovanni Battista Crivelli (around 1590-1652). He continued in this position until his death in 1668. His former pupil Natale Monferrato was vice-chapelmaster during this time. His successor in the office of chapel master was Francesco Cavalli.
Rovetta's nephew, Giovanni Battista Volpe, also known as Rovettino, held various musical posts in the area of St. Mark's Basilica and published and arranged works by his uncle, namely Op. 9 and Op. 10.
Monteverdi's influence can be seen in many of Rovetta's compositions. An important impetus for Rovetta's career was provided in 1638 by the French ambassador in Venice, who commissioned Rovetta to compose the festive music for the birth of the French heir to the throne Louis XIV. He then published his collection of music Messa,'' e salmi concertati'', which contains a mass, twelve vesper psalms and a Magnificat. He also published four collections of motets and three madrigals. He also composed two operas, which are now lost.
(Wikipedia)
Note: Translated from a German version of Wikipedia into English.
