Ruffo, Vincenzo

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Ruffo, Vincenzo

Ruffo, Vincenzo , Italian composer; b. Verona, c. 1508; d. Sacile, Feb. 9, 1587. He received training at the Scuola degli Accoliti at Verona Cathedral (1520–34). From about 1542 to 1546 he was musico to Alfonso d’Alvalos, Marquis of Vasto and governor general of Milan. In 1544 he was made maestro di cappella at Verona Cathedral, and also maestro di musica of the Accademia Filarmonica in Verona in 1551. From 1563 to 1572 he was maestro di cappella at Milan Cathedral. He later was active at Pistoia Cathedral (1573–77), again in Verona (1578–80), and finally in Sacile. Ruffo was a prolific composer, producing both sacred and secular works of great discernment. He publ. at least 14 vols, of sacred music (1542–92) and 10 vols, of secular music (1545–64), including in the latter some 260 madrigals.

Bibliography

W. Wtorczyk, Die Madrigale V. R.s (diss., Free Univ. of Berlin, 1955); L. Lockwood, The Counter-Reformation and the Masses of V. R.(Venice, 1970).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire