Bassani (Bassano, Bassiani), Giovanni Battista
Bassani (Bassano, Bassiani), Giovanni Battista
Bassani (Bassano, Bassiani), Giovanni Battista, Italian composer, organist, and violinist; b. Padua, c. 1647; d. Bergamo, Oct. 1, 1716. He studied with Legrenzi and Castrovillari in Venice; in 1667 he became a member of the funereally named Accademia della Morte in Ferrara, serving as organist and composer. On July 3, 1677, he became a member of the more cheerful Accademia Filarmonica in Bologna; also served as maestro di cappella and organist of the apocalyptic Confraternita del Finale in Modena (1677–80). In 1680 he became maestro di cappella to the Duke of Mirandola; in 1682 he was appointed principe of the Accademia Filarmonica; in 1683 and 1684 he was maestro di cappella of the Accademia della Morte. In 1687 he was named maestro di cappella of the Ferrara Cathedral, and in 1712 at S. Maria Maggiore in Bergamo; also taught at the music school of the Congregazione di Carita there. He is known to have written at least nine operas, but these are lost; only a few arias from his opera Gli amori alla moda (Ferrara, 1688) have survived. Some 15 oratorios have been attributed to him, but these are also lost; however, the texts to three have survived. He also composed masses and other sacred works, secular vocal pieces, and instrumental works, all of which were publ. in his day.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire