Role

:

Composer

Country

:

Italy

Birth

:

ca. 1630 in Italy

Death

:

ca. 1670

Period

:

Baroque

Genre

:

Chamber

 

 

Vocal

 

Giovanni Mealli was a Baroque composer and violinist who was born in Italy in the early 17th century. Not much is known about his early life, but it is believed that he was born in Naples and received his musical education there. He later moved to Rome, where he became a member of the prestigious Accademia di Santa Cecilia. Mealli was a highly skilled violinist and composer, and his works were highly regarded during his lifetime. He is best known for his six sonatas for violin and continuo, which were published in 1660. These sonatas are notable for their virtuosic violin writing and their use of chromaticism and dissonance. In addition to his sonatas, Mealli also composed several vocal works, including a setting of the Stabat Mater. He also wrote music for the theater, including several operas and ballets. Mealli's music was highly influential in the development of the Baroque style, particularly in the use of chromaticism and dissonance. His works were also notable for their use of virtuosic violin writing, which would later become a hallmark of the Baroque era. Despite his success as a composer, Mealli's personal life was marked by tragedy. In 1669, he was involved in a violent altercation with a fellow musician, which resulted in the death of the other musician. Mealli fled Rome and went into hiding, but he was eventually caught and imprisoned. He was later released, but his career never fully recovered from the scandal. Mealli's music fell into obscurity after his death, but it has since been rediscovered and is now recognized as an important contribution to the Baroque repertoire. His sonatas for violin and continuo are now considered to be among the finest examples of Baroque violin music, and they continue to be performed and recorded today.

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