Composer, Theorist. One of the most influential musicians of the 17th Century. He was a key developer of figured bass, or basso continuo, which broke from the vocal Renaissance tradition by using instrumental accompaniment to provide harmonic support. This became a distinguishing feature of all Baroque music. He first presented his ideas in the seminal book "Cento concerti ecclesiastici" (1602), a collection of 100 church pieces for one to four voices and organ. He was born Lodovico Grossi in Viadana (hence the appendage to his name) near Parma, Italy, and probably studied with the famed polyphonist Costanzo Porta, though their styles could not have been more different. He entered the Catholic Franciscan Order around 1590 and his earliest known post was as choirmaster of Mantua Cathedral (1593 to 1597). In 1514 he was appointed assistant administrator for the Bologna diocese. Although nothing is known of Viadana's personality, he seems to have made enemies wherever he went; he seldom kept a job for long and in 1623 his superiors ordered him to leave his hometown, where he had hoped to retire. He died in a monastery in Gualtieri. Most of Viadana's compositions were published during his lifetime, including 23 volumes of sacred music (1588 to 1619), two books of secular songs (1590, 1594), and a collection of instrumental pieces (1610).
Composer, Theorist. One of the most influential musicians of the 17th Century. He was a key developer of figured bass, or basso continuo, which broke from the vocal Renaissance tradition by using instrumental accompaniment to provide harmonic support. This became a distinguishing feature of all Baroque music. He first presented his ideas in the seminal book "Cento concerti ecclesiastici" (1602), a collection of 100 church pieces for one to four voices and organ. He was born Lodovico Grossi in Viadana (hence the appendage to his name) near Parma, Italy, and probably studied with the famed polyphonist Costanzo Porta, though their styles could not have been more different. He entered the Catholic Franciscan Order around 1590 and his earliest known post was as choirmaster of Mantua Cathedral (1593 to 1597). In 1514 he was appointed assistant administrator for the Bologna diocese. Although nothing is known of Viadana's personality, he seems to have made enemies wherever he went; he seldom kept a job for long and in 1623 his superiors ordered him to leave his hometown, where he had hoped to retire. He died in a monastery in Gualtieri. Most of Viadana's compositions were published during his lifetime, including 23 volumes of sacred music (1588 to 1619), two books of secular songs (1590, 1594), and a collection of instrumental pieces (1610).
Bio by: Bobb Edwards
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