Belli, Domenico

views updated

Belli, Domenico

Belli, Domenico, Italian composer; b. c. 1590; d. (buried) May 5, 1627. He lived most of his life in Florence. On Sept. 19, 1619, he and his wife entered the service of the Medici court. As a composer, he was one of the earliest representatives of the new monodie style; Caccini praised his music. However, the claim that his short opera, 17 pianto d’Orfeo, or Orfeo Dolente (Florence, 1616; reprinted Brussels, 1927, in Tirabassi’s ed.), was the earliest opera ever written is questionable. Among his instrumental works is Arie per sonarsi con il chitarrone (Venice, 1616).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

About this article

Belli, Domenico

Updated About encyclopedia.com content Print Article