Girolamo Frescobaldi
Girolamo Frescobaldi ( born September 9, 1583 Ferrara, † March 1, 1643 in Rome) was an Italian composer and organist of the early Baroque.
Life
Frescobaldi is considered together with Sweelinck as the most influential composer of keyboard instruments of the first half of the 17th century. He grew up in Ferrara on, was informed by Luzzasco Luzzaschi, and astonished his fellow citizens at the age of 17 years due to its outstanding organ. 1607 he was employed in Rome as organist at the church of Santa Maria in Trastevere and traveled in the wake of his patron, Cardinal Guido Bentivoglio, to Brussels, where he remained nearly a year. After his return to Rome in 1608 he obtained thanks Bentivoglios intercession employment as organist of St. Peter's Church and served next to a musician of Roman figures such as Cardinal Pietro Aldobrandini the. 1615 he spent a year as an organist in Mantua from 1628 to 1633 court organist in Florence. 1634 he took over again for the position of organist at St. Peter's Basilica. Here must Frescobaldi true triumphs celebrated in each of his concerts to thousands of listeners have come together. In Rome he frequented still in high social circles; some of his works are devoted to the Barberini family, from which came the then pope.
In his Toccatas, canzoni Ricercari and variations emerged preforms the suite, the reformed his pupil Johann Jakob Froberger later. Many German organist made a pilgrimage to Rome to study with him. Frescobaldi is especially known for his compositions for keyboard instruments such as the Orgeltoccaten. However, he also wrote Ricercari, canzoni, Capricci for organ and harpsichord, which were widely admired for their " emotional art." With others, he also worked for the oratory of the Most Holy Crucifix.