Gagliano, Marco da (1st May 1582-25th February 1643)

He was an early Baroque composer born in Florence, Italy, where he remained for the majority of his life.

He received his early musical education from the composer Luca Bati and also received further tutelage at the Compagnia dell’Arcangelo Raffaello where he would also be ordained. This led to him being employed as a singing instructor at the Church of San Lorenzo in 1602, when he was 14 years old.

Remaining at the church until 1607, he moved to Mantua where he held the position of the composer for the ruling family there, the Gonzagas. That same year he became the founder of the society of Florentine musicians called Accademia degli Elevatt. During the 5 years he worked in Mantua he wrote Dafne, which is one of his most remembered operas.

In 1609 he was asked to be the maestro di cappella for the confraternity he had learnt with in Florence and so he returned to his hometown to take up the position. He was just home a few months when he became employed at the court of the prominent Medici family as their maestro di cappella and occasional musician and singer. This would be the job he held for the rest of his life but he also continued his work in he priesthood and became an Apostolic Protonotary at the Vatican in 1614.

A prolific composer, and an influential one during his lifetime, his works include some of the earliest Italian operas including the lost Il Medoro and the little known La Flora, an oratorio, 38 motets, Latin masses, madrigals, monodies and many other secular and sacred works. After his death the interest in his work somewhat lessened and before long other composers like Monteverdi, who wrote in a similar style, overtook him in popularity.

After he passed away the family’s musical links remained when his brother Giovanni Battista took over his position at the Medici court.

Sources:

Gagliano, Marco da (1st May 1582-25th February 1643)

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