STRADELLA, ALESSANDRO. — Musician, born perhaps at Montefestino in 1642, died at Genoa on 28 February 1682.
The value of his art is to be sought particularly in the architectural and expressive development which he gave to the vocal air, to duets, cantatas, dramatic works, oratorios, and in the dramatic character of the cantatas, which is also found in his instrumental output. The cantata is the form which he cultivated in a pre-eminent way both in quantity (about 219) and above all in style, which animates his dramatic works and oratorios, serenades and motets, from which it often differs only in scope. Among the sacred works, mention should be made of the Cantata a 5, with voices B. C. for the souls in Purgatory, the one for 3 voices for Christmas night, and the Cantata a 6 voci with instruments for Christmas. His religious output also includes 22 motets, 6 oratorios: S. Editta vergine e monaca (1684), Ester liberatrice del popolo ebreo (1688), S. Giovanni Crisostomo, S. Pelagia (1633), Susanna (1688). It is said that Handel drew inspiration from his S. Giov. Battista.