right|thumb|220px|giovanni animuccia giovanni animuccia (c. 1520 &ndash; c. 20 march 1571)lockwood and oâregan, animuccia, giovanni, grove music online. was an italian composer of the renaissance and was involved in the heart of romeâs liturgical musical life, and one of giovanni pierluigi da palestrina's most important contemporaries. as the first maestro di capella of st philip neri's oratory and magister cantorum of the capella giulia, he was composing music at the very centre of the roman catholic church, during the turbulent reforms of the counter-reformation and as part of the new movements that began to flourish around the middle of the century. his music reflects these changes. ==early life: florence== animuccia was born in florence, where, despite his prominence as a composer in rome (where he died) he spent the first thirty years of his life. however, little is known about his training and work during this period. his first and second book of madrigals show similarities with, and may have been modelled on, the music of his slightly older contemporary francesco corteccia (court composer to duke cosimo i de' medici). animuccia and corteccia were the only significant composers writing madrigals in florence at the time and both composers published books of madrigals in 1547.lockwood and oâregan, animuccia, giovanni animucciaâs name is also mentioned in association with florentine literary circles, suggesting that he was involved with cultural life in florence.nosow, the debate on song in the accademia fiorentina, p. 210 animuccia's second book of madrigals was published in 1551 after his arrival in rome in 1550. ==rome== after his arrival in rome, animuccia was employed by cardinal guido ascanio sforza. early on, through his association with florentine circles (in particular the exiled altoviti family), animuccia met his fellow florentine st phillip neri.lockwood and oâregan, animuccia, giovanni ===music for the oratory=== st phillip neri founded a religious congregation called the oratory. the oratory began in the early 1550s as small and informal meetings for religious discussion and prayer; these meetings soon began to attract large numbers of people.smither, a history of the oratorio, p. 42 in 1558, when phillip obtained a larger room to hold the meetings in, the practice of singing of laude spirituali was introduced.lockwood and oâregan, animuccia, giovanni singing laude was a popular practice in florence following the legacy of girolamo savonarola who strongly encouraged its use, and it is natural therefore that phillip would incorporate this practice into his meetings.wilson, lauda. grove music online. animuccia was involved early on with music for these meetings (the prec
1520s_births 1571_deaths Italian_classical_composers People_from_Florence Renaissance_composers Roman_school_composers