Ferrabosco, Alfonso, the Younger
Ferrabosco, Alfonso, the Younger
Ferrabosco, Alfonso, the Younger, Italian-English composer, illegitimate son of Alfonso Ferrabosco, the Elder; b. probably in Greenwich, England, c. 1575; d. there (buried), March 11, 1628. He was reared by a musician at the English court. He received an annuity from 1592 to 1601, and then entered the service of King James I. He became teacher to the Prince of Wales in 1604. He was granted an annual pension in 1605, and continued as an active musician in the royal service. In 1626 he was named Composer of Music in ordinary and Composer of Music to the King. Ferrabosco was a friend of the dramatist Ben Jonson, for whom he wrote music for several masques produced at the court. He publ. a book of Ay res (dedicated to Prince Henry; London, 1609) and a book of Lessons for 1, 2 and 3 Viols (London, 1609). His works for viol demonstrate extraordinary ability in contrapuntal writing while preserving the rhythmic quality of the dance forms and the free ornamental style of the fantasies.
Bibliography
J. Duffy, The Songs and Motets of A. G., the Younger (1575–1628) (Ann Arbor, Mich., 1980).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire