ABBATINI, ANTONIO MARIA. - Musician, b. at Città di Castello in 1597 (?), d. there between 1679 and 1680. From 1628 he was maestro di cappella of the Lateran Basilica, then returned to his native city, where he assumed the post of maestro di cappella at the cathedral. He remained there until 1632, when he went to Orvieto; but by 1635 he had already returned to Città di Castello. In 1640 he was in Rome as maestro di cappella at S. Maria Maggiore; then at S. Lorenzo in Damaso, and then again at S. Maria Maggiore, which he left in January 1657. In 1667-68 he was at Loreto, whence he returned to S. Maria Maggiore, remaining there until 13 June 1677.
A. belongs to that group of musicians who sought to develop the premises of sixteenth-century polyphony by increasing the choral forces to 16, 32, 48, and more voices. This tendency, characteristic of the Roman school of that period, was necessarily to lead church music to imposing sonorous effects, but also to an excessive use of resources, characteristic of the Baroque age. Perhaps A.’s greatest merit was that of having been the teacher of a distinguished group of pupils, among whom were Marcantonio Cesti and Giov. Paolo Colonna.