Biography
After possibly studying under Contino in Brescia, Marenzio made his way to Rome. There, while employed by cardinals and affluent supporters such as Luigi d'Este, he issued numerous musical settings and gained recognition as a composer of international stature. In 1587 he journeyed to Verona before briefly serving Ferdinando de' Medici in Florence. Upon returning to Rome he entered the service of Cardinal Aldobrandini, who granted him a Vatican residence. Between 1595 and 1596 Marenzio spent time as a guest at the Polish court and afterward resumed his life in Rome. His output encompassed roughly four hundred madrigals along with villanellas, pastorals, and sonnets. What set his work apart was an exceptional capacity to match musical atmosphere to textual meaning and to evoke visual imagery through combined words and sound. These madrigals enjoyed widespread favor across Italy and England. He also produced some seventy-five motets rich in religious imagery.