ANERIO, GIOVANNI FRANCESCO
(c. 1567, Rome – buried 12 June 1630, Graz, Austria)
Organist and priest who introduced the vernacular oratorio with his Teatro Armonico Spirituale (1619), written for the Oratory of St. Filippo Neri. It contains the earliest surviving obbligato instrumental parts in Rome. He also composed several masses, 83 motets, and Selva armonica (1617), a collection of Latin motets and madrigali spirituali in Italian for one to four voices representating the latest trends.
See also Medicean Chant.