Giovanni Girolamo Kapsperger

(1580-1651)

Wikipedia: " Giovanni Girolamo Kapsperger (also: Johann(es) Hieronymus Kapsberger or Giovanni Geronimo Kapsperger; c. 1580 – 17 January 1651) was a German-Italian virtuoso performer and composer of the early Baroque period. A prolific and highly original composer, Kapsberger is chiefly remembered today for his lute and theorbo (chitarrone) music, which was seminal in the development of these as solo instruments."

Kapsberger was one of the principal composers of lute and theorbo music during the early Baroque era (together with Alessandro Piccinini) and greatly contributed towards advancing European plucked string instruments of the time. Also, Kapsberger's toccatas may have influenced those of Girolamo Frescobaldi, much like French lute music would, some years later, influence Johann Jakob Froberger's suites.

Links:

Giovanni Girolamo Kapsperger, a playlist on Spotify

Works:

Libro primo d'intavolatura di chitarrone (1604): 6 toccatas, 7 sets of variations, 12 gagliards, Tenore del Kapsberger
Libro primo d'intavolatura di lauto (1611): 8 toccatas, 12 gagliards, 12 correntes
Libro terzo d'intavolatura di chitarrone (1626), a recently rediscovered collection^[6]
Libro quarto d'intavolatura di chitarrone (1640): 12 toccatas, 16 preludes, 10 passacaglias, 5 chaconnes, and numerous other pieces, including dances, variations, canzonas, etc.