Allegri, Gregorio b. 1582 d. February 7, 1652 Singer, Composer. Born in Rome, he sang tenor at the Cathedral in Fermo from 1607 until 1628, when he joined Rome's prestigious Papal Choir. It was for this group that he composed his famous "Miserere" (c. 1636). It has been sung at the Sistine Chapel during Holy Week every year since. The Vatican refused to let Allegri publish the "Miserere" and its mysterious harmonies were kept a closely guarded secret until 1770, when a 14 year-old Wolfgang Mozart wrote it down from memory after hearing...[Read More] (Bio by: Robert Edwards) Chiesa Nuova, Rome, Provincia di Roma, Lazio, Italy Plot: Chapel of St. Philip Neri
Landi, Stefano b. February, 1587 d. October 28, 1639 Composer. An innovative figure of the early Baroque period. His masterpiece, "Sant' Alessio" (1632), was the earliest opera based on a historical subject and the first about a religious figure, the 5th Century Saint Alexis, who was portrayed with an attempt at psychological realism that was entirely new to the genre. Before then the plots of music dramas were derived mainly from Greek and Roman mythology. It was also the first opera to feature an overture. Landi was born in Rome, where he...[Read More] (Bio by: Robert Edwards) Chiesa Nuova, Rome, Provincia di Roma, Lazio, Italy
Neri, Saint Philip b. July 22, 1515 d. May 27, 1595 Roman Catholic Saint. Born in Florence, he began preaching the Gospel to the poor of Rome while still a layman, and he was ordained a priest in 1551. His unusual methods of religious reform gained many supporters in the Vatican. In 1575, Pope Gregory XIII recognized Neri's group of priests as the Congregation of the Oratory, so named because they gathered in the oratory of the San Girolamo della Carita Church in Rome. It was here that Neri made his great contribution to the arts. He...[Read More] (Bio by: Robert Edwards) Chiesa Nuova, Rome, Provincia di Roma, Lazio, Italy Plot: Beneath the Main Altar
b. 1582 d. February 7, 1652
