Italian composer. Spent his whole career at St Mark's, Venice -- as chorister, instrumentalist, bass singer, assistant maestro to Monteverdi from 1627, and his successor as full maestro from 1644 until his death, His output includes two operas for the early public opera houses, several volumes of concertato madrigals, and a large amount of sacred music -- Masses, psalms and motets. His style seems often that of one labouring in Monteverdi's shadow, though in some small-scale pieces he writes with distinctive melodic charm for voices and obbligato violins. One ceremonial Mass (1639) is an impressive example of this Venetian genre, the longer movements being tightly knit yet varied, with sections for soloists contrasted with dramatic tuttis.