Agostino Agazzari

Background

Agazzari was born in Siena, Toscana, Italy on December 2, 1578, to an aristocratic family.

Career

He worked in Rome as a teacher at the Roman College, then he returned to Siena in 1607, becoming first organist and later choirmaster of the cathedral there.

Agazzari wrote several books of sacred music, madrigals and the pastoral drama Eumelio (1606). Stylistically, Eumelio is similar to the famous composition by Cavalieri, Rappresentatione di Anima, e di Corpo of 1600, a work of singular significance in the development of the oratorio. In the preface to the drama he mentions that he was asked to set the text to music only one month before the performance; he composed the music in two weeks, and copied the parts and rehearsed it in the remaining two weeks, a feat which would be impressive even in the modern age. Agazzari is best known, however, for Del sonare sopra il basso (1607), one of the earliest and most important works on basso continuo. This treatise was immensely important in the diffusion of the technique throughout Europe: for example, Michael Praetorius used large portions of it in his Syntagma musicum in Germany in 1618-1619. As was true with many late Renaissance and early Baroque theoretical treatises, it described a practice which was already occurring. In large part it was based on a study of his friend Viadana's Cento concerti ecclesiastici (published in Venice in 1602), the first collection of sacred music to use the basso continuo.

Achievements

• Agazzari is best known for Del sonare sopra il basso (1607), one of the earliest and most important works on basso continuo. This treatise was immensely important in the diffusion of the technique throughout Europe: for example, Michael Praetorius used large portions of it in his Syntagma musicum in Germany in 1618-1619.

Works

• book

  • La musica ecclesiastica dove si contiene la vera diffinitione della musica come scienza, non più veduta, e sua nobilità.

    (Siena: Bonetti)

    1638

• drama

  • Eumelio

    (Stylistically, Eumelio is similar to the famous compositi...)

    1606

• madrigals

  • Agazzari wrote several books of sacred music.

• music

  • Del sonare sopra il basso

    (Agazzari is best known, however, for Del sonare sopra il ...)

    1607

Connections

Old Friend:

Lodovico Grossi da Viadana