Raffaello Rontani

Born: 1580
Died: 1622
Education: served at least two members of the nobility: he mentions, in particular in the dedication of his opus 6, that he is "capo del… concerto" of Duke Sforza
Career: Kapellmeister of San Giovanni dei Fiorentini

From 1610 Rontani was in the service of Antonio de Medici in Florence and from 1616 until his death, Kapellmeister of San Giovanni dei Fiorentini , in Rome. In addition, he seems to have served at least two members of the nobility: he mentions, notably in the dedication of his opus 6, that he is "capo del... concerto" of Duke Sforza. In his time he seems to have been one of the most popular Italian composers of vocal music, particularly of solo songs . Half of his Varie musiche books have been reprinted and almost a third of the pieces contained therein survive in manuscripts. In total the six books contain 97 pieces, of which 60 are monodic. Although an unattractive melodist, it is easy to see how his long lines, catchy rhythms and subtle phrasings could excite admiration. Today he appears with his strophic songs, less gratifying than Italian composers of the time, such as Calestani and Berti. He is called “the Florentine” by a publisher, in an anthology in which his music appears.