Giacomo Carissimi Biography

Carissimi occupies an important position in Italian music of the 17th century. Ordained priest, he spent the greater part of his life as director of music at the German College in Rome, an important Jesuit educational establishment.

Church Music

Carissimi's many compositions include various works for church performance, Mass settings, cantatas and motets. Of particular interest are his Latin oratorios, important in the development of the genre. These include Belshazzars' Feast, under the title Baltazar and a dramatic musical version of the story of Jephtha.