Landi, Stefano

LANDI, STEFANO. - Musician, b. in Rome ca. 1590, d. there ca. 1655. In 1619 he became maestro di cappella of Marco Cornaro, bishop of Padua, then at the Madonna dei Monti in Rome; on 29 Nov. 1629 he was appointed a singer in the Cappella Giulia and from 1632 a benefited cleric at St. Peter's. A pupil of the two Nanini, he was one of the most celebrated contrapuntists of his time, and, while preserving in his compositions the profound severity of the polyphonic style, he welcomed the innovations of the rappresentativo style and indeed brought notable advances to the technique of composition, especially in the sacred drama.

He composed: Madrigali a 4 e 5 voci (Venice 1619; Rome 1625); La morte d'Orfeo, a pastoral tragicomedy by Alessandro Matthei (Venice 1619; Rome 1639); Arie da 1 a 2 voci (ibid. 1620-38); Salmi a 4 voci (ibid. 1624); Poesie diverse in musica (ibid. 1628); Missa in benedictione nuptiarum sex vocum (ibid. 1628); the sacred drama S. Alessio, on a libretto by Card. G. Rospigliosi, later Pope Clement IX (ibid. 1632); Messe a cappella a 4 e 5 voci (ibid. 1639); and various music in collections of the time. The S. Alessio, with which the theater of Palazzo Barberini was inaugurated on 12 Feb. 1632, can be considered a true sacred drama anticipating the famous Roman opera.

L. also collaborated on the new edition (Antwerp 1644) of Palestrina's hymns, on the commission of Urban VIII.

Anna Maria Gentili