Giovanni Gabrieli

Born sometime in the mid-1550s, Gabrieli grew into the last and greatest voice of the Venetian School, a tradition that had made the city's basilicas ring with layered voices and brass. He worked as both composer and organist, writing pieces that placed musicians in opposing lofts so sound would ricochet and overlap, pioneering what would later be called spatial music. By the time he died in August 1612, he'd become one of the most influential musicians in Europe, standing exactly at the hinge where Renaissance polish gave way to Baroque drama.