Simone Molinaro

Molinaro was the master of the chapel at S Lorenzo of Genoa. He composed a number of vocal pieces, sacred and secular, as well as pieces for lute, particularly salterellos, passamezzos, galliards, and fantasias. Vocal scores included masses, motets, madrigals and canzones. Molinaro's instrumental music characteristically was melodic and rhythmic demonstrating a controlled method of variations through sequences and virtuostic modulations with little use of chromatics. "Fattiche spirituali" was a collection of madrigals that illustrated Molinaro's elevated repute in contemporary music. ~ Keith Johnson