(b Florence, 23 Dec 1582; d there, 5 Dec 1663). Italian composer. A Benedictine monk, he studied with Caccini and published four collections of music (1607-9) in Florence while serving at nearby abbeys. From 1613 he was an organist in Forlì (where he published three further volumes), returning in 1640 to Florence as maestro di cappella of S Trinità. His compositions (motets, madrigals, canzonettas) show an assimilation of polyphonic, monodic and concertato styles. His treatise Discorsi e regole (1649-50) is an important source on the rise of monody and opera.

The Concise Grove Dictionary of Music. Copyright © 1994 by Oxford University Press, Inc.. All rights reserved.