Luzzasco Luzzaschi

Luzzasco Luzzaschi (* 1545 in Ferrara, † September 11, 1607 in Ferrara) was an Italian composer and organist.

Life

Luzzaschi was in his youth a pupil of Cipriano de Rore, Flemish composer and first appeared in the May 1561 a service at the court of Duke Alfonso II d' Este. 1564, he was Ducal court organist, from 1572 he held the additional post of organist at Ferrara Cathedral. In 1574 it rose, as successor A. della Viola, head of the instrumental music of the Duke of Ferrara on. After the death of Alfonso II in 1597, the inclusion of Ferrara in the Papal States and the relocation of the ducal family to Mantua, Luzzaschi remained until his death in Ferrara. Whether Luzzaschi has performed the title of Kapellmeister, is not proven. Luzzaschi also worked as a teacher, Girolamo Frescobaldi is his most famous pupil.

Work

Luzzaschi is today mainly known through his madrigals. He wondered how his teacher de Rore, special emphasis on text-based composing, so the choice of musical style means directly related to the sung text.

In addition to the seven Madrigal books in the usual cast of five voices, which were originated from 1571 to 1604 and printed in Venice and Ferrara, the collection of madrigals for one to three soprano voices ( printed at Rome 1601) particularly outstanding. In this work, composed for the famous Concerto delle donne ensemble falls particularly on the virtuosity demanded of the singers. The large amount tendered ornaments over a unadorned bass line already points to the new style of monody, who plays the leading role in the newly emerging opera. Another special feature of this collection is the Madrigal advertised on the bass backing vocals for a keyboard instrument. This can be seen as a transition between the overlapping accompanying styles, the Colla parte game on the one hand and the Harmonisierens a bass line with your right hand (Basso Continuo ) on the other, and thus one of the earliest sources for the emergence of the new basso continuo practice around 1600.