Girolamo Frescobaldi

Born in Ferrara in September 1583, Frescobaldi was a child prodigy who studied under Luzzasco Luzzaschi and absorbed the styles of Mayone, Trabaci, and Merulo. In July 1608 he was appointed organist of St. Peter's Basilica, the power seat of the Cappella Giulia, a post he held until 1628 and again from 1634 until his death on 1 March 1643. His printed collections became some of the most influential keyboard music of the 17th century, shaping the work of Froberger, Purcell, and Bach. The Fiori musicali, his 1635 collection of liturgical organ works, remained a teaching standard for strict count…