Agostini, Paolo

Agostini, Paolo, Italian organist and composer; b. Vallerano, 1583; d. Rome, Oct. 3, 1629. He was a member of the choir school of S. Luigi dei Francesi in Rome, where he studied with G. B. Nanino. After serving as organist and maestro di cappella at S. Maria del Rus cello in Vallerano, he returned to Rome as organist at S. Maria in Trastevere; later was vice-maestro di cappella there and concurrently maestro di cappella at Ss. Trinità dei Pellegrini. He was also vice-maestro at S. Lorenzo in Damaso (1619–26) and maestro di cappella at the Cappella Giulia at St. Peter’s (from 1626). His music displays great ingenuity of contrapuntal structure; some of his choral works are written for 48 independent parts.

Works

(all publ. in Rome): Salmi della madonna, Magnificat, Ave maris stella, antifone, motetti, lib. I for 1 to 3 Voices and Basso Continuo (1619); Liber secundus missarum for 4 Voices (1626); Spartitura delle messe del primo libro for 4 to 5 Voices (1627); Spartitura del secondo libro delle messe e motetti for 4 Voices (1627); Partitura del terzo libro della messa sine nomine, con 2 Resurrexit for 4 Voices (1627); Libro quarto delle messe in spartitura (1627); Spartitura della messa et motetto Benedicam Dominum ad cañones for 4 Voices (1627); Partitura delle messe et motetti con 40 esempi di contrapunti for 4 to 5 Voices (1627); Missarum liber posthumus (1630).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire