Giovanni Battista Brevi

Giovanni Battista Brevi was probably born around 1650 in the music-loving city of Bergamo in Italy. He worked
until 1679 as a conductor and organist at Santa Maria Maggiore, whose chapel then was one of the best
in Italy. From 1695, Brevi lived in Milan and worked there at the most famous churches: at the San Francesco Cathedral, at the Carmelite Church and also at the Jesuit Church of San Fedele. His date of death is unknown.
His last work was published in 1725 in Venice.
Brevi wrote a large number of church music, including many oratorios. Of his secular music, only three works
are known today, such as the Bizzarie armoniche, ovvero sonata da camera a stromenti col basso continuo,printed by Monti in Bologna, 1693.
Brevi’s expressive style and the vibrancy of his chamber music were already highly praised in his lifetime and
equated with the well-known masters of his era. The arrangement of his music, small motifs, fast notes and the dancing character of the movements are ideal for performance on plucked instruments, both as an orchestra as well as chamber music for 4 parts.