Gregorio Strozzi

Strozzi was an organist and composer who studied with Sabino in Naples and served as the second organist at Ss. Annunziata in 1634 and became a doctor of canon law in 1655 at the University of Naples. He composed a collection of choral works for Holy Week as well as two part pieces for teaching, "Elementorum musicae praxis" (the practice of elementary music). Strozzi's most important collection for harpsichord or organ was "Capricci da sonare" which included keyboard works of almost every kind employed during this time period: ricercares, toccatas, works contending with counterpoint, variations and madrigals set for keyboard pieces. Though these works were quite advanced they also happen to contain some of the last pieces published in open score, variations on the hexachord, and romanesca variations. The ricercares were developed over three or four themes played at the same time and the toccatas were involved complexes of chromatics, progressions, and dissonances. The sonatas composed by Strozzi are among the first -- some consider them to be the first -- titled keyboard sonata works in more than one movement. ~ Keith Johnson