Girolamo Frescobaldi

Baptized circa Sept. 19, 1583, in Ferrara; died Mar. 1, 1643, in Rome. Italian composer and organist.

Frescobaldi, who gave concerts in various countries of Europe, was appointed organist at St. Peter’s in Rome in 1608. He composed numerous works for organ (fantasies, toccatas, canzoni, and ricercari), harpsichord (preludes, fugues, and partitas), and voice. Frescobaldi enriched the organ repertoire and laid the foundations for free polyphony by defining a new approach to the use of melody and developing the fugue. The founder of the Italian school of the organ, he was later referred to as the Italian Bach. Frescobaldi, whose students included the German organist J. J. Froberger, influenced succeeding generations of organists.