Giacomo Carissimi was one of the most important composers of
the early seventeenth century. During this burgeoning era of the early Baroque,
Carissimi witnessed the dramatic shift from the predominance of sacred music of
the 1500s, exemplified in the works of Palestrina, to the rise of opera and
secular music that would hold an undeniable sway over Italian composers by the
latter part of the century. Among his contributions as a composer is the
further development of the operatic recitative, as begun by Monteverdi, and the
chamber cantata, which he inherited from Luigi Rossi. However, his most
significant contribution is the development of the oratorio, for which he can
be rightly called "the father of the oratorio." His efforts in this genre, of
which Jephte and Jonas are the most well-known, helped established its form. Besides
being a composer, Carissimi was also influential as a teacher, and his
influence reached through the succeeding generation of composers to Italy,
Germany, and France.
Born near Rome, Carissimi's exact birthdate is unknown,
though it is known that he was baptized on April 18, 1605. As with many
composers of his time and before, virtually nothing is known of his early life.
However, he must have been trained well in music, because at the age of
eighteen, records show that he was a member of the Tivoli Cathedral choir. He
became organist of the cathedral in 1625. In 1629, Carissimi received the most
significant appointment of his career, maestro
di cappella at the Collegium Germanicum in Rome, from which he commanded a position of considerable influence. He held
the position until his death, despite offers to replace Monteverdi at the
prestigious St. Mark's in Venice, and a court position serving the governor of
the Netherlands. He was later ordained a priest in 1637. Despite his prestige
as a composer and teacher, Carissimi apparently never left Italy, and he died
in Rome on January 24, 1674.
Giacomo Carissimi
Biography
Giacomo Carissimi was one of the most important composers of the early seventeenth century. During this burgeoning era of the early Baroque, Carissimi witnessed the dramatic shift from the predominance of sacred music of the 1500s, exemplified in the works of Palestrina, to the rise of opera and secular music that would hold an undeniable sway over Italian composers by the latter part of the century. Among his contributions as a composer is the further development of the operatic recitative, as begun by Monteverdi, and the chamber cantata, which he inherited from Luigi Rossi. However, his most significant contribution is the development of the oratorio, for which he can be rightly called "the father of the oratorio." His efforts in this genre, of which Jephte and Jonas are the most well-known, helped established its form. Besides being a composer, Carissimi was also influential as a teacher, and his influence reached through the succeeding generation of composers to Italy, Germany, and France.
Born near Rome, Carissimi's exact birthdate is unknown, though it is known that he was baptized on April 18, 1605. As with many composers of his time and before, virtually nothing is known of his early life. However, he must have been trained well in music, because at the age of eighteen, records show that he was a member of the Tivoli Cathedral choir. He became organist of the cathedral in 1625. In 1629, Carissimi received the most significant appointment of his career, maestro di cappella at the Collegium Germanicum in Rome, from which he commanded a position of considerable influence. He held the position until his death, despite offers to replace Monteverdi at the prestigious St. Mark's in Venice, and a court position serving the governor of the Netherlands. He was later ordained a priest in 1637. Despite his prestige as a composer and teacher, Carissimi apparently never left Italy, and he died in Rome on January 24, 1674.