Colista, Lelio

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Colista, Lelio

Colista, Lelio, significant Italian composer; b. Rome, Jan. 13, 1629; d. there, Oct. 13, 1680. His career was centered on his native city, where he served as maestro di cappella at S. Marcello in the 1660s, and as first lutenist for the Arciconfraternità del Ss. Crocifisso. In the 1670s he was active at S. Luigi dei Francesi and in 1675 was made a member of the Arciconfraternità delle Sacre Stimmate at S. Francesco. Colista was the foremost Italian composer of instrumental music of his era. He excelled in writing trio sonatas. Among his other works were six sinfonias for plucked instruments, church sonatas, oratorios, and cantatas.

Bibliography

H. Wessely-Kropik, L. C, ein rômischer Meister vor Corelli: Leben und Umwelt (Vienna, 1961).

—Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire