Alessandro Stradella
Alessandro Stradella (October 1st 1644 - February 25th 1682) was an Italian type-setter. He was born with Rome and died assassinated in Genoa.
One knows few details on his youth. He was member of a family of the aristocracy, studied with Bologna, and started to be made a reputation as a type-setter as of the twenty years age. He entered to the service of the queen Christine of Sweden. In 1667, it settled in Rome where it composed of many works, mainly of the sacred music, and it started to carry out a life dissolue. With one of his friends, it tried to tap money of the Catholic church but was uncovered. It had to flee and returned later only when it thought of being able to do it without risk. Unfortunately for him, its many contentions in sex cases were not long in causing many enemies to him among the powerful ones of the city and it was forced to leave Rome very good.
In 1677, it arrived at Venice where it was engaged by noble in order to be used as Master of music with his mistress. As one could expect it, Stradella was not long in confusing musical instruction and sentimental education and it had to flee when its connection with its pupil was discovered. But, this time, the gentleman whom it had cocufié engaged of the henchmen who were charged to find it and of the occire; it is what missed occurring, of little. Stradella left for Genoa; it composed operas and cantatas there. It was put once more in a delicate situation because it loved much the women. A hired killer engaged to eliminate it found it on Piazza Bianchi and killed it out of stabs.
Stradella exerted, as type-setter, a great influence on the music of its time, even if some of his/her colleagues, such as Corelli, Vivaldi and others enjoy today a greater fame. Its major contribution is the invention of the Concerto grosso. Admittedly, those of Corelli were the first with being published in 1706 pennies this title, but unquestionably, Stradella uses this form before in one of its sonatas for viols. As the two type-setters knew each other, one can imagine a reciprocal influence.
Stradella composed at least 6 operas, as well as many cantatas and oratorios. He wrote also 27 instrumental parts, most are for and string instruments Continuo, and generally in the form of the sonata of church (Sonata da chiesa).
Obviously, its adventurous life and its tragic death were to inspire by the booklets of operas as true as natural. Three type-setters did it, among whom most famous was Friedrich von Flotow with its Alessandro Stradella represented with Hamburg in 1844.