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Giovanni Battista Bassani (c. 1650 – 1 October 1716) was an Italiancomposer, violinist, and organist.
Bassani was born inPadua. It is thought that he studied inVenice underDaniele Castrovillari and inFerrara underGiovanni Legrenzi.Charles Burney andJohn Hawkins claimed he taughtArcangelo Corelli, but there is no solid evidence for this assertion. He was an organist at the Accademia della Morte in Ferrara from 1667, but had probably left by 1675. He published his first music in 1677; the title page calls him maestro of music at theConfraternità della Morte inFinale Emilia, not far fromModena. He wasmaestro di cappella atDuke Alessandro II della Mirandola's court in 1680, and was electedprincipe at the Accademica Filarmonica inBologna. He becamemaestro di cappella at the Accademia della Morte inFerrara in 1683, and thenmaestro di cappella atFerrara Cathedral in 1686. For his contributions to the musical life of Ferrara, he was often called "Bassani of Ferrara". He wrote 76liturgically ordered services for use atFerrara Cathedral between 1710 and 1712. He became director of music atSanta Maria Maggiore inBergamo in 1712, and also taught at the Congregazione di Carità in the same city until his death.
Bassani was a celebrated violinist in his own time, and his fame was compounded by Burney's praise for him. His trio sonatas are his best-known and most often performed pieces in modern times. He wrote 13oratorios, but only four survive, and all 13 of hisoperas have been lost aside from a fewarias fromGli amori alla moda.
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