Claudio Saracini

Claudio Saracini (July 1, 1586 – September 20, 1630) was an Italian composer, lutenist and singer of the early Baroque era. He was one of the most famous and distinguished composers of monody.

Music and influence

Of his music, 133 songs have survived, and all are monodies—secular compositions for solo voice, generally sung in a highly ornamented style, with instrumental accompaniment. All but one are in Italian, and encompass a wide range of texts, including serious, humorous, and erotic. His style varies from diatonic to chromatic, and is comparable to that of contemporary monodist Sigismondo d'India in its experimental qualities.

Related Topics:
Diatonic - Chromatic - Sigismondo d'India

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A unique feature of Saracini's compositions is the occasional influence of folk music, including that of the Balkans, an extreme rarity in early Italian Baroque music. Presumably he heard folk music in those regions when he traveled there during his youth. This influence is most evident in his strophic songs, one of which is in 5/4 (although actually notated in duple meter); asymmetrical meters are a normal feature of Balkan folk music but are absent in Italian.

Related Topics:
Folk music - Balkans

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Saracini's works have had a resurgence of interest in the 20th century, after a long period of neglect. His experimental idiom first attracted the attention of musicologists, and later, performers; his compositions are now recorded relatively frequently, often on collections containing works of other composers of the same era, such as Monteverdi or Alessandro Grandi.

Related Topics:
20th century - Musicologists - Alessandro Grandi

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