Francesco Tasini - Giovanni Maria Trabaci: Il Libro I-II de ricercate et altri vari capricci (1999)

Giovanni Maria Trabachi (c. 1575 - December 31, 1647) is one of the most interesting Italian composers and organists of the 17th century.
More than 10 print publications with 300 of his works have been preserved.
Trabaci was born in Monte Pelusio (currently Irsina, near Matera). Nothing is known of his early life. Already in 1597 he was invited as an organist and organ specialist for organ inspection by Oratorio dei Filippini. For some time he served there as an organist and tenor, and then, in 1601, became an organist at the Spanish mission in Naples and enjoyed the special location of the Spanish royal family. The second organist was Ascanio Mayone, Giovanni de Macque was maestro di cappella. After the death of the latter in 1614, Trabachi held this post until the end of his life. Between 1625 and 1630 he also worked at Oratorio dei Filippini.
Trabachi has become best known for his keyboard work, which includes recercars, canzons, and tokkats collected in two editions. The language of his bold harmonies in these works with unexpected modulations into distant keys and experiments with structure influenced Girolamo Frescobaldi. He also wrote many spiritual vocal works, but they are usually more conservative. The book of his motets, Motectorum, with expanded harmony, may have influenced Carlo Gesualdo during the creation of Sacrae cantiones in 1603.