Bassani, Giovanni (1560, 1617)

Giovanni Bassani (Bassano) (1560-1617) was born and probably educated in Venice. In 1585 he was a singer and in 1595 a voice teacher at the choral school of St. Mark's Cathedral. In 1615 he became music director of St. Mark's. The invention of the double-reed instrument bassanello, an instrument popular because of its sweet sound, is attributed to him. He enjoyed a great reputation as improviser at the organ.



Of his compositional oeuvre three-part fantasias, ricercare for keyboard instruments, four-part capricci musicali, church concertos and madrigali concertanti are still extant. A mass, motets and canzonettas were included in collections. He published a volume with motets, chansons and madrigals by sixteenth-century masters for five and six voices or solo voice with organ accompaniment.