ANNI BALDA PADOVANO

ANNI BALDA Padovano. — Musician, b. in Padua in 1527, d. in Graz in 1575. From 1552 he was organist of the second organ in St Mark’s, Venice, and from 1566 organist and from 1570 chapel master at the court of Archduke Charles in Graz. His vocal compositions include a book of madrigals for five voices (Venice 1564), masses for five voices (ibid. 1573), and motets for five and six voices (ibid. 1567); his instrumental works include a book of ricercars for five voices (ibid. 1556) and one of toccatas and ricercars (ibid. 1604). A. is one of the most significant representatives of sixteenth-century instrumental style, as it took shape and gained recognition in the Venetian artistic milieu, dominated by the leading figures of Andrea and Giovanni Gabrieli.