Domenico Massenzio (28 March 1586 – 23 October 1657) was an Italian baroque composer. His lifetime «coincides perfectly with the conception and implementation of the Counter-Reformation, the largest-scale operation of ideological communication ever carried out in Europe».
He worked at the Seminario Romano (1612), Collegio Inglese (1624-6),

Cappella Giulia The Cappella Giulia, officially the Reverend Musical Chapel Julia of the Sacrosanct Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican, is the choir of St. Peter's Basilica that sings for all solemn functions of the Vatican Chapter, such as Holy Mass, ...

(1626-7). His first two collections of music (the 'Sacrae cantiones' in 1612 and the 'Motecta ..liber secundus' in 1614), were dedicated respectively to Cardinal Odoardo Farnese and to Cardinal Benedetto Giustiniani (1544-1621), a Jesuit and a great appreciator of music. Between 1629 and 1636 Massenzio published eight books of music. In 1631 he wrote the ''Sacri Mottetti'' «to be sung by ordinary voices or again by nuns». He also tried to export his music (the ''Psalmi Davidici'' of 1636) into the new lands of

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

.Nigro, Antonella: ''Domenico Massenzio. A new biography with unpublished documents'', 2008, ''Opera Omnia''
p. XLV
/ref> After 1646 Domenico Massenzio did not publish any further music until his death.

Works, editions and recordings

* Domenico Massenzio da Ronciglione, ''Opera Omnia'', Critical Edition by Claudio Dall'Albero - Mauro Bacherini, Rugginenti, Milan, 2008 * Hill, John Walter: 'Roman monody, cantata, opera' * ''The office of

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'' (polyphonic setting). Choir of

St John's College, Cambridge St John's College, formally the College of St John the Evangelist in the University of Cambridge, is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge, founded by the House of Tudor, Tudor matriarch L ...

, dir.

George Guest George Guest CBE FRCO (9 February 1924 – 20 November 2002) was a Welsh organist and choral conductor. Birth and early life George Guest was born in Bangor, Gwynedd. His father was an organist and Guest assisted him by acting as organ blow ...

, Meridian, 1988 * ''Tullio Cima, Domenico Massenzio e la musica del loro tempo: atti del convegno internazionale (Ronciglione, 30 ottobre-1° novembre 1997)'': Fabio Carboni, Valeria De Lucca, Agostino Ziino - 2003 * Franchi, Saverio - Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani - Vol. 71 (2008)
''MASSENZIO, Domenico''

References

17th-century Italian composers Italian male composers 1586 births 1657 deaths 17th-century Italian male musicians {{Italy-composer-stub