Girolamo Frescobaldi, Composer
(1583-1643). Italian keyboardist, organist, and composer. In a succession of posts serving several important and powerful Italian families (Bentivoglio, Aldobrandini, and Medici) he rose to be chief organist of St. Peter's at the Vatican. In performance, Frescobaldi was highly regarded for his mastery of improvisation. As a keyboard composer his fame spread through his 2 books of toccatas, ricercars, canzonas, and capriccios -- admired by Froberger, and later carefully studied by Bach. ...
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