Girolamo Frescobaldi

The Profile

Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583–1643) was an Italian composer and virtuoso organist of the early Baroque. He served as organist at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, profoundly shaping keyboard style. His influence reached across Europe and included pupils such as Johann Jakob Froberger.

Italian early Baroque composer-organist; organist at St. Peter’s Basilica; major works include Fiori Musicali, Toccate, Arie Musicali, Madrigali, and Il primo libro di Capricci; influential teacher of Johann Jakob Froberger.

One review tackles Frescobaldi’s Madrigali with exuberant, all-caps imagery about chromatic rhythms and vitality, closing on “GREAT COOLNESS.” The piece receives a 3/5. Publicly, Frescobaldi is an Italian early Baroque composer-organist renowned for keyboard innovation and sacred/vocal collections.