Leone Leoni

( b Verona, c 1560; d Vicenza, 24 June 1627). Italian composer. He was maestro di cappella of Vicenza Cathedral from 1588 until his death. Six books of madrigals (1588-1602) and six of motets (1606-22) survive; many items reappeared in anthologies. He emphasized contrasts of texture and expressive setting.

(b ?Menaggio, nr Como, c. 1509; d Milan, 22 July 1590). He was probably born in Menaggio on Lake Como, though his parents were from Arezzo, and throughout his life Leone referred to himself as Aretine. It is probable that his formative years were spent learning the trade of goldsmith, perhaps in Venice or Padua. The classicism and idealism of this school formed the basis of his style. Some time after 1533 he is recorded in Venice with his wife and infant son Pompeo, living under the protection of Pietro Aretino, to whom he was related. While in Venice, Leone worked as a goldsmith and made medals and statuettes (none of which can be identified). Leone's skill and connections secured him a position at the mint in Ferrara, although he was forced to abandon this when accused of counterfeiting, the first of several misadventures that were to plague his life. Through Pietro Aretino, Leone received an introduction to the poet Pietro Bembo, and in 1537 he travelled to Padua to prepare Bembo's portrait medal (untraced).

Part of the Leoni family

See the Abbreviations for further details.