MAZZOCCHI, DOMENICO AND VIRGILIO. – Domenico. – Priest and musician, b. at Civita Castellana on 8 Nov. 1592, d. at Rome on 20 Jan. 1665. He took a degree in philosophy and in utroque iure, and became a retainer of the princes Aldobrandini, Pamphili and of Cardinal Mancini.
He was a distinguished contrapuntist and gave vigorous impetus to the madrigal genre, transforming it with new ideas and harmonies: he invented various musical signs which passed into common use.
His works are: Musiche morali (Rome 1625); Motetti (ibid. 1628); Madrigali (ibid. 1638); Tutti i versi latini del papa Urbano VIII posti in musica (ibid. 1638); Lettera ed apologia del difensore di Veio (ibid. 1654); Velo difeso (ibid. 1663).
VIRGILIO. – Musician, brother of Domenico, b. at Civita Castellana on 22 July 1597, d. at Rome on 8 Oct. 1646. He took minor orders and studied music under his brother’s guidance.
He was maestro at the church of the Gesù in Rome, then at the Lateran Chapel, the Roman Seminary, and finally for 17 years at the Cappella Giulia in St Peter’s Basilica; he became famous for a new type of school which he founded and for the grandeur of his choirs. In 1636 he wrote the comic opera Chi soffre, speri, to words by Cardinal Rospigliosi; he also composed much sacred music, psalms, motets, masses, etc.