Giralamo Frescobaldi (1583-1643)

Giralamo Frescobaldi was one of the most important and influential composers for the keyboard in the early 17th century. He straddled the late renaissance style in his early output, and by the end of his life had contributed some of the most impressive and influential works to the early Italian baroque. The son of an organist, he was born in the northern city of Ferrara, where, by all accounts his father was rather well to do, owning a large house. His employer, the Duke Alfonso II d’Este was obsessed with music, and spent several hours a day listening. He threw considerable financial resources into music making at court.

Young Frescobaldi obviously thrived in this environment for he soon took up employment for the Duke of Mantua, and later became organist to the Medici in Florence from 1628-34. He then went even further by moving to Rome to work for the Barberini family of Pope Urban VIII. In this elite society he mingled with such names as Bernini and Pietro da Cortona. Frescobaldi was an outstanding improviser and pioneer of new keyboard techniques, as such his influence was substantial.