he was eminent as a composer, but comparatively few of his works remain (motets and madrigals, 1548-70). His chief fame is as a theorist (see sec. 72).
Annibale Padovano was born in 1527 at Padua, succeeded De Buus as organist at St. Mark's in 1552, and remained till 1566, when he became ducal choirmaster at Gratz (Austria). He had great repute as a player on the organ and other instruments. His relatively few works, in all the usual forms, appeared in 1556-73, with a probably posthumous collection of organ-*toccate and ricercari in 1604.
Baldassare Donato (d. 1603) was a Venetian who seems to have spent his entire life at St. Mark's, first as singer, from 1562 as trainer, and finally, from 1590, as Zarlino's successor. Most of his known works are madrigals (1550-68), in which much originality appears, with one book of motets (1597). The long gap between these publications is unexplained.
Claudio Merulo (d. 1604), born in 1533 at Correggio and trained there, early displayed conspicuous genius. He began his career in 1556 as cathedral-organist at Brescia, in 1557 came to the second organ at St. Mark's, was promoted to the first in 1566, remaining almost 20 years, and in 1586 began another 20 years' service as court-organist at Parma, where he died. Besides being interested (from 1566) in music-publishing and in organ-building, he stands out as one of the chief organists of the period, excelling both as player and as composer. With the two Gabrielis, he marks an epoch in the separation of organ from vocal music. His masses, motets and excellent madrigals are many (from 1564), but his best works are his organ-ricercari, toccate and canzone. In 1579 he coöperated in the drafting of a madrigal-play, one of the precursors of the opera.
Andrea Gabrieli (d. 1586), born in Venice about 1510 and trained by Willaert, became a singer at St. Mark's in 1536 and second organist in 1566. Like his younger predecessor Merulo, his fame rests upon the stimulus he gave to organ music, but his publications were at first all vocal (several volumes of motets, masses and madrigals from 1565), while his concerti and organ-pieces appeared posthumously (1587-1605). He wrote much for 5-6 voices or more—his Penitential Psalms for 6 voices (1583) being specially notable. He also collaborated on a madrigal-play (1574). Among his eminent pupils were his nephew Giovanni and Hassler, the South German pioneer. The new forms of organ-writing later conspicuous in Germany are finely prefigured in his works.
Giovanni Gabrieli (d. 1612), Andrea's nephew and pupil, born in Venice in 1557 and first organist at St. Mark's from 1585, stands on the same high plane as player, composer and teacher. His published works appeared first (from 1587) with those of his uncle. He was fond of polychoric effects (3-4 choirs treated more or less independently), and in his organ-writing advanced toward the fugal form with success. He seems not to have produced much secular music, but he had a profound sense of richness and variety of tonal effect. His most famous pupils were Sweelinck, the founder of the North German school, and Schütz, the great Dresden master.
Giovanni Croce of Chioggia (d. 1609) was first a choirboy at St. Mark's under Zarlino, then leading singer and finally, from 1603, choirmaster. Growing up amid the accumulated traditions of the century, his numerous
