FALCONIERI, Andrea

Falconieri, Andrea (c1585 Naples - 1656 Naples)
Italian composer and lutenist. He worked in Parma, Modena and Genoa before becoming maestro dicapella at Naples i 1647.Most prolific as a songwriter, his surviving works are among the first to show a distinction between recitative or arioso and aria within the same song. His instrumental pieces, mostly for two violins, bass and continuo, display a spirited style midway between Monteverdi and Corelli, they underline the links between lute music, the dance suite and the sonata da camera.

(from Norton/Grove Encyclopedia of Music)