Giulio Caccini

Late Renaissance and early Baroque Italian composer Giulio Caccini, was a key figure in developing monody, a single melodic line with chordal accompaniment that was the precursor of recitative in opera. He was an important member of the Florentine Camerata, the group of intellectuals from various disciplines responsible for creating the genre of opera, as an attempt to reproduce the synthesis of drama and music of Classical Greek drama. His Euridice (1600) was one of the first operas to have survived. Le Nuove Musiche, his collection of solo songs with basso continuo accompaniment, was influential in establishing Baroque conventions of text setting.