Alessandro Poglietti

Though the date of Poglietti's birth is unknown he was serving in the court of Leopold I as an organist from 1661. He enjoyed great favor as both the organist and as a teacher. Poglietti's keyboard playing was exceptional as were many of his compositions. Works in his "Rossignolo," which was a programmatic cycle of organ music, together with his twelve ricercares for the organ, place him between Frescobaldi and composers of the late Baroque like Bach and Handel. The "Rossignolo" were musical attempts at imitating sounds in nature and sounds of war. These works also provide an insight into the folk music of the day which Poglietti attempted to imitate through compositions for the organ. ~ Keith Johnson