Editorial de Música BOILEAU - Since 1913

FASOLO, Giovanni Battista

Asti 1598 - Palermo 1664

Was a Franciscan friar, organist and composer.
In his middle years Fasolo was primarily known for his 1645 organ annual, which, like L'organo suonarino of
Adriano Banchieri, from the generation before him, was intended for use in small parish churches, and are much
simpler than those used in Venice. In 1659 Fasolo became maestro di cappella to the Archbishop of Monreale.
Until recently many of G.B. Fasolo's secular works were attributed to other composers, particularly the Venetian
Francesco Manelli, the composer of the first commercial operas in music history, or to a third unknown composer
known as "Il Fasolo?".
However following the work of Francesco Luisi, Mariangela Donà, and Claudio Bacciagaluppi the attribution
of the major works under the heading "Il Fasolo?" to G.B. Fasolo is now reasonably secure, and listed under his own
entry, by Eleanor Selfridge-Field, in the current New Grove.