Carissimi, Giacomo b. April 18, 1605 d. January 12, 1674 Composer. An ordained priest, he was Maestro of Rome's St. Apollinaris Church (then part of the German College) from 1630 until his death. Carissimi was the first great writer of oratorios, choral settings of religious themes in semi-operatic style. The most notable of them is "Jeptha" (1650). Recognizing that certain churches did not have the resources to put on oratorios, he also invented the church cantata, a vocal work in a similar vein but more modest in scale and requiring far fewer...[Read More] (Bio by: Robert Edwards) Church of St. Apollinaris, Rome, Provincia di Roma, Lazio, Italy
