Cifra, Antonio

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Cifra, Antonio

Cifra, Antonio, Italian composer; b. probably near Terracina, 1584; d. Loreto, Oct. 2, 1629. He was a choir boy at the church of S. Luigi dei Francesci (1594–96), where he studied with G.B. Nanino. He served as maestro di cappella at the Seminario Romano (1605–07) and the Collegio Germanico (1608–09) in Rome, at Santa Casa di Lorento (1609–22), at S. Giovanni in Laterano in Rome (1623–26), and again at Santa Casa di Lorento (from 1626). His finest works are the solo monodies included in his Scherzi sacri (two vols., 1616, 1618) and his secular scherzi (four vols., 1613, 1614, 1615, 1617). Among his other works are eight vols, of concertato motets (1609–15), other motets, Psalms, two vols, of masses (1619, 1621), and six vols, of madrigals (1605–23).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire