Giacomo Carissimi occupies an important position in Italian music of the 17th century. Ordained priest, he spent the greater part of his life as director of music at the German College in Rome, an important Jesuit educational establishment.

Sacred and Secular Vocal Music

Carissimi’s many compositions include various works for church performance, Mass settings, cantatas and motets. Of particular interest are his Latin oratorios, important in the development of the genre. These include Baltazar (depicting Belshazzar’s Feast) and a graphic musical version of the story of Jephtha. His more dramatic compositions include a moving and topical Lament of the Queen of Scotland, written shortly after the execution of her grandson (the English and Scottish King, Charles I).