Stefano Landi

Stefano ( Steffano ) Landi ( born February 26, 1587 Rome, † October 28, 1639 ) was an Italian singer, conductor and composer.

Life

The age of eight Stefano Landi was recorded in 1595 as a boy soprano in the Collegio Germanico - Ungarico in Rome. It is possible that the Italian composer Asprilio Pacelli (1570-1640) was a classmate or teacher.

After Landi received the first orders in 1599 he began his musical studies in 1602 at the " Seminario Romana ". In the records of the seminar he is mentioned in 1607 as composer and conductor of a pastoral carnival. 1611 appears his name as an organist and singer. In 1614 he received an appointment as Kapellmeister in the Church of Santa Maria della Consolazione in Rome. The Italian composer Agostino Agazzari (1578-1640), Kapellmeister at the Seminario Romano, possibly was a teacher Landis.

1618 moved Landi to northern Italy where he became a five-part madrigals published in Venice; apparently he was appointed Kapellmeister to Padua. There he started composing his first opera, " La morte d' Orfeo ." She was probably part of the celebrations of a wedding. His experience in Padua and Venice were crucial for the development of his own style. From now on, he was in close contact with composers of the Venetian school, which were less popular in the traditionally oriented Rome.

In 1620 he returned to Rome, where he spent the rest of his life. His patrons included the Borghese family, Cardinal Maurice of Savoy (1593-1657) and Pope Urban VIII Barberini for the family, his most important patrons, he wrote his most famous work, the opera " Sant'Alessio " in the year 1631. In these he was particularly active years, there emerged various trade shows, arias and chant, however, mainly in the early Baroque, conservative style of the composer Palestrina, which was considered as sacred music form that time.

Landi is regarded as one of the most important musicians of the first half of the 17th century and practiced with his works considerable influence on the development of the cantata and opera from the Roman.

1636, his health deteriorated dramatically. On October 28, 1639, he died in Rome and was buried in the church of Santa Maria in Vallicella.

Works

Operas

• La morte d' Orfeo: the premiere of Padua, 1619
• Il Sant 'Alessio, 1631, libretto by Giulio Rospigliosi Premiere: February 18, 1632, Palazzo Barberini, Rome